Our Broken World
by WANDA no duh
Summary: It's a story about a bad day that Sarah and her best friend have...and maybe a wish can make it better. SxJ and OCxOC. A slightly dark romantic comedy.**On Hiatus sorry **
1. Broken World

Our Broken World

Disclaimer: _Labyrinth _is property of A.C.H. Smith, Jim Henson and others; I don't own it or the characters.

* * *

"As the pain sweeps through

Makes no sense for you

Every thrill has gone

Wasn't too much fun at all

But Ill be there for you-oo-oo

As the world falls down"

_As the World Falls_ _Down _By David Bowie

* * *

Ch1. Broken World

"Just fear and love me," he moved closer to her, and she admired his beauty…but, her attraction to him would not stop her from attaining her purpose, "And do as I say, and I…I will be your slave," he was begging, and his fingers, so close to her mouth, were distracting her. She stuttered…her mind still on the same train of thought, while her heart was beating too rapidly for the man before her.

"You have no power over me," she blurted; surprised she'd remembered the line for once. She was thrilled for a moment ten she realized that the handsome man before her was disappearing and she lov-

The alarm clock next to her bed began clanging. _Damn. _She swatted the defenseless clock to the floor and snuggled back under her covers.

"Sarah Williams, what did that clock ever do to you?" a feminine voice asked from outside of her warm protective blanket bubble.

"It killed a beautiful dream, and I'll be damned if it survives to tell the other clocks about it," Sarah replied, burrowing deeper into the covers.

"Well, about damn time you felt that way about mornings, but, today is a special day. And since I myself have risen at this godforsaken hour, I believe that, for my troubles, you should get up too." Sarah grunted and slithered deeper into the warmth. Her friend sighed; she'd had enough, and walked to the head of the bed, carefully stepping over the clock fragments littering the floor. "Alright Sarah, you asked for it; times like this require the big guns." She cleared her throat and leaned over Sarah's head, and began to whisper.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City - -"

"Leah!" Sarah cried indignantly, flinging back the covers. Leah smiled and continued with more confidence.

"- - to take back the child you have stolen. For my will is as great as yours - -" she dodged as Sarah chased her around the room, swinging her arms wildly. "- - and my kingdom is as great - -" she howled out, holding back laughter. She jumped on a chair and took a heroic, if silly pose, "You have no power over me!" Sarah caught her and swung the pillow in her hands into her friend's gut with a woomf.

"Ah!" Leah cried dramatically, "You wound me my lady," she fell from the chair and feigned great belly pain. "I-I don't believe I will survive much longer." Clasped one of Sarah's hands in her own and pulled her onto the floor. "Tell…tell my mum I love her…and-and Sir Didymus that I hid his nuts the fourth tree from the right…please dearest maiden tell them for me!" with that she flopped back down and lay still.

"Leah…you stupid goose, what did you want? You didn't have to go through all the theatrics, that story is so embarrassing!"

"Sarah…" Leah sat up, "It's a beautiful story, though I will take the fact that you thought the Goblin King was-…er…never mind. Um… yeah…your wedding… it's kinda tomorrow and some of the girls are taking you out for the bachelorette party tonight."

"Leah, you say it as if you're not going." Leah sheepishly scratched the back of her head and gave a tight smile.

"Your mom kinda asked me to watch your little brother tonight- but it's for a good cause, she's going out to make sure everything's ready for tomorrow. Don't get mad, I _love_ Toby, _we get along like peanut butter and jelly on a slice of Wonder Bread_." Sarah gave an angry sigh.

"You're weird Leah; I don't know how you put up with that woman as your aunt. But, I know that Toby likes you better than me so…have_ fun_ with that." Leah grabbed the pillow Sarah had clobbered her with earlier and tossed it into Sarah's face.

"Yeah, right! Every time I'm there that little brat tries to wish me away! I wouldn't be so afraid if I wasn't just as crazy as you are and believed that you'd actually been to the 'Underworld'." Sarah glared at her. "Alright, alright, I'll drop it, sheesh, it's not like the important people like Matt and I don't already know about it." Sarah rolled her eyes and fell back from her sitting position and stared and that ceiling.

"Hey," Leah poked Sarah's shoulder, "The girls are borrowing my van for you today…by now they're probably hiring a stripper, so…could you give me a lift over to your mum's house?"

"Yeah…sure, I guess…you did wake me up…-wait, how the hell did you get in anyway?!?"

"Your house?"

"Yes, how did you get in my house?!?" Sarah sat up and glared down at the girl lying on the floor beside her.

"Give me a minute to think up a proper lie."

"You picked the freaking lock again, didn't you!?!" Sarah yelled; face turning a light shade of red.

"Chill Sarah, I got the key from your dad, god. Like I would break in after the last time, I still have scars Sarah, _scars_, as if I'd make the same mistake twice." Sarah calmed down quickly and got up.

"I'm still mad about last time…get out so I can change."

"Aw, but Sarah, I like you the way you are. _Don't go changin', tah tryin' please me," _She sang, squirming about in an awkward dance.

"And I'd like to be wearing more than boy shorts and a sports bra when I go to see my impressionable little brother." Leah rolled her eyes and slowly stood.

"Suit yourself; I think that Matt would like it though." She smirked as she pulled the door behind her and heard a hard thump against the solid wood. "Too predictable Sarah, too predictable," she chuckled to herself.

Leah shuffled down the stairs to the small kitchen and started making the two of them coffee. Half an hour later, Sarah flounced down the stairs, showered and dressed in a simple lavender peasant top and straight leg Jeans.

"Looking ravishing as usual, love," Leah and Sarah looked over at the front door as Sarah's fiancé waltzed in.

"Matt! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Chicago for another couple of hours!" Matt, a handsome blond with gray eyes, smiled at his dark haired fiancée.

"I came back early, I couldn't wait to see you, and I wanted to remind you that I loved you before you went to your ladies' night."

"I love you too, Matt," Sarah smiled back at him.

"Leah, how yah doin' Squirt?" he ruffled her short mouse colored hair and smirked at her.

"Matt," she replied in a clipped tone, and turned away from him, something about him never sat well with her.

"As charming as ever," he continued, and placed his hand on her back, Leah smacked his hand away.

"I don't like to be touched, _Matt_, you know that." She got up from her seat at the bar and stretched. She watched Matt and Sarah kiss out of the corner of her eye. "Ew, gross, _human interaction_," she rolled her eyes at them.

"Leah, there's no need for sarcasm," Sarah replied, wrapping an arm around Matt's middle. He happily slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"You're just jealous of what we have," Matt remarked, kissing the top of Sarah's head.

"Naw, it's just I don't trust you, and, as every best friend should say, if you hurt her, I will kill you with a blunt object and throw your mangled body in the sea. Am I clear?" she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Crystal, now turn your back so I can snog this perfect woman," Leah rolled her eyes again, but obliged. The doorbell rang and the kissing sounds stopped, Sarah went to go answer the door. Leah turned back and gave him a look of distaste. "What? Something on my face? In my teeth?" He stepped closer to her, making faces.

"You really should stop leading her on, it's killing me inside, knowing, that you go home to another woman every night and Sarah is none the wiser." His smile stayed plastered on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Sarah's the only woman in my life." Leah opened her mouth to reply when Sarah came back, followed by a hoard of girls.

"Leah! What are you doing here?" Leah grimaced at him once more and turned towards the voice.

"Joy, how are you?" she cried back, voice equally cheerful, "I was just on my way to Sarah's parent's house, I was hoping to get a lift before you guys got here."

"I'm great, I wish you could come tonight, but Toby's only good when you're there."

"Good, huh? That kid tried to kill me with a blender." Joy laughed and turned toward Matt.

"Ah, the groom's here girls," she cried over her shoulder and every one of them looked in his direction and pounced. Soon they were surrounding him, asking him questions, tugging at his sleeves, and generally gesticulating in his direction. Sarah and Leah stood outside of the mob, Sarah gave a dry chuckle.

"Well…he always was the ladies' man, and that probably won't change much even though he's getting married."

"Sarah…" Leah started hesitantly, Sarah looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

"I still need a ride; since your party is kinda stalled for the moment, think you could give me one?" Sarah gave a short laugh and relaxed her stance; she nodded, glancing at the clutter of girls.

"We'd better go quickly though, one of them might try to convince him to marry her instead, and I'm not so sure if he's in the mood to tell them 'no'." Leah nodded slightly and the two walked out to Sarah's car. Matt watched them go and a sly smirk spread across his face.

"Alright, who wants to give me a proper send off from bachelordom?" the girls cried out in approval and one of them, Joy, tackled him.

"Just lie still, we'll do everything we can to give you a…proper send off." She whispered huskily in his ear, as hands began tugging at his clothes. He smiled up at the blond bombshell and pulled her down closer to himself. Lips and hands ghosted over him and his hands randomly reached out to clasp the enticing flesh of the women surrounding him.

"Oh, I forgot my keys," Sarah cried in surprise as she checked her pockets over again. "Lemme get 'em really quickly," she turned and raced back into the house. Leah idled against the side of Sarah's car, her eyes closed and a deep frown cut across her pretty features.

"Sorry Sarah…you would never have believed me if I told you." Leah spun the keys she had pilfered from Sarah's pocket around her finger, and waited for Sarah's reaction.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?!" Leah winced as Sarah's voice sounded shrilly from inside the house.

"It's not what it looks like!? Leah rolled her eyes at Matt and the other girls' voices. Sarah came running out of her house, tears held at bay by her anger. A half-dressed Matt came stumbled after her as he tried to pull his pants back on and catch his fiancée. "Sarah, come back!" Leah stepped into his path and tossed the car keys Sarah.

"Matt, I don't think she wants to talk right now," Leah's voice was calm as Sarah pulled the car out of the driveway and sent it screeching down the street. Matt, a good six inches taller than Leah, stared down at her. His eyes suddenly lit with realization.

"You b*tch, you knew this would happen!" his hand shot up from his side and he backhanded her; Leah's eyes widened in surprise and pain. "You knew that this would happen!" he screamed at her again and this time his fist connected to her cheek. Leah cried out and threw herself away from another blow. Unfortunately, she lost her balance and fell; Matt loomed over her and kicked her in the side and legs. "How does it feel you b*tch, you b*tch," he screamed at her as his legs caught her in the areas she couldn't block fast enough. Leah bit her lip to so that he wouldn't hear her sobs; she wouldn't let him get any satisfaction…not again, and not ever…not from her. He kept kicking her until the cops came and pulled him away.

Leah sat up slowly, hissing in pain, and watched as the police placed an enraged Matt into the back of one of their cars. She wiped at her teary face and looked at the girls standing in the doorway. Joy stood there; she held a phone loosely in her hand.

"Thanks…" Leah wheezed, Joy looked taken aback, but gave her a soft smile.

"Sorry," she whispered back, "Tell Sarah…we're so sorry."

"I will, if she'll talk to me," one of the cops came back and crouched down beside her.

"You shouldn't move, he might have broken a few of your ribs," Leah gave a wheezing laugh.

"Wouldn't be the first time I had them," the officer raised an eyebrow at her. "Abusive step-father, eh, I'll be fine…nothing broken. I'll be bruised as hell in a minute, but that's about it." The officer chuckled lightly at her nonchalance and helped her stand. Another officer walked up, he was much older than the first.

"Leah, it's been awhile, although this is the first time that you weren't the one being taken away in the back of the car."

"What can I say, Officer Slater, I've turned over a new leaf."

"And got the sh*t beat out of you, nice one." He gave her a toothy grin and Leah rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't be a bastard sir, it's not becoming."

"Watch your tone, or I'll have you spend the night in county."

"Sorry…uh, could you give me a ride somewhere? My friend needs a bruised shoulder to cry on." Slater nodded and led her to his patrol car. The other officer drove away with Matt, while Slater took her to Sarah's parent's house.

She pushed open the front door and it creaked open ominously. "Sarah?" she called softly. She wandered into the kitchen and found the note Karen, Sarah's stepmother had left. She frowned at it and headed up the stairs to Sarah's room. "Sarah…? Are you here?" She knocked softly and pushed the half closed door open. Sarah was lying face down on her childhood bed, weeping. Toby stood over her, a look of concern on his seven year old face. "Toby, come here," she waved him over to herself and he snuggled into her leg.

"Is Sarah okay?"

"No love, Sarah's broken…something bad happened today… now, let's goes down and get you some lunch. Your mum been gone long?" she asked him as she took his little hand in her own, and pulled his after her.

"Mommy's been gone since yesterday, dad doesn't know where she went. She left you a note though." Leah looked down at him, concerned.

"Where's your dad?"

"Dunno, he hasn't come home since last night. Leah, I'm hungry, I want grilled cheese." Leah nodded and sat him down at the table. She gave him another concerned look and patted his head.

"Hold on a little longer little me, I'll get'cha your grilled cheese," she swept the dirty blond hair from his forehead. His hair was getting long, it felt neglected. "Afterwards let's get you a bath," He cringed and nodded slightly.

While Leah shuffled about the kitchen making Toby his lunch, Sarah dragged herself into the room and sat down next to her brother.

"You knew he was a bastard…didn't you?" Leah started slightly then schooled the shocked look as she turned towards her friend and gave a weak smile.

"I…had an inkling, I didn't think you'd believe me though." Sarah shifted uncomfortably.

"Its fine, I don't blame you."

"I'm sorry I didn't try to tell you sooner." Leah turned back to the stove and flipped one of the grilled cheese over. "Your…parents haven't been taking care of Toby again." She murmured quietly.

"I know, I can see it on him." Sarah reached over and stroked his cheek fondly.

"Sarah…are you still 'broken'?" Toby asked.

"I'm healing, don't worry Toby." He gave her a crooked smile and went back to twiddling his thumbs in childish impatience.

"She's been hitting him again, the marks on his face are almost gone…but…I'm sure there are others."

"I hope not."

"Sarah…would you be against my…adopting Toby?" Sarah's head whipped up.

"Wh-what?"

"I…know how he feels…and I think that I'd be able to help him cope…not officially just when you can't find your parents. Maybe one day I will ask for him, but for now I'll just try to help the best that I can." She cut the grilled cheese in half and scooped it onto a plate. She set it in front of Toby as she sat down. "Please…say you'll support me in this."

"I…I almost regret to say this, but, I will. I'll support you if you adopt him." Leah nodded slightly and winced. "Hey, do you have a black eye?" Leah's eyes widened, she hadn't planned to tell Sarah about Matt's attack.

"Um…I- you know…when-if your….god, why is it so hard to lie when you really need to?" Sarah looked at her, and her puffy eyes glimmered with tears. Leah sighed and waved her hand as if to clear the air between them. "Don't worry about me, worrying is my job, I'll be fine."

"Leah…you-…never mind," Sarah sighed too and leaned back in her chair. "So…F*cking _fantastic_ day huh?"

"Something like that," Leah gingerly rested her arms on the table and placed her throbbing head on them. Toby smacked happily away at his grill cheese, ignorant as any seven year old could be. "Best day _ever_," she closed her eyes and neither spoke for a long moment, "So…what are you going to do about…the wedding?" She glanced up at Sarah's horror stricken face. "Sarah, you're going to have to make a decision about it sooner or later, so…I'm asking you now, what do you think?"

"I think that I want you to tell everyone that it's off for me…including that troop of whores!" Sarah bit out.

"They said they were sorry if that's any consolation," Sarah gave her a look that said that the girls would never get her forgiveness. "Geez Sarah…this has to be the worst day in the history of worst days." Sarah nodded and looked like she was considering something. After a moment she spoke.

"Makes you wish it would all just be a horrible, horrible dream."

"Yeah," Leah replied half-heartedly.

"Like you could just disappear to somewhere else, where the trouble didn't exist anymore," she continued airily.

"Sarah?" Leah glanced over at her friend, and wondered if Sarah was losing it because of grief.

"Maybe…wish yourself to another world."

"Sarah!" Leah's head shot up from her arms and she stared at her friend in alarm. Her head was swimming for a moment, and then the fuzz around her eyes cleared and she saw Sarah for a moment with a heightened intensity.

"I wish that the goblins would come and take you away right now." Sarah murmured, a half crazed smile on her mouth.

"Sarah!" Toby cried out in surprise. Leah felt her poor head begin spinning faster and faster, the table before her and the chair under her began to dissipate. She was falling. A gruff, tepid voice came from nowhere and everywhere, as if a legion had proclaimed it and one voice was chosen to speak for them. It was the last thing she heard before her world went completely blank.

"She said the words."


	2. She's Falling

She's Falling

Disclaimer: _Labyrinth _is property of A.C.H. Smith, Jim Henson and others; I don't own it or the characters.

* * *

"She's wanting

She's tripping

And she's falling…

Can you catch her…

Now she's calling…

Can you hear her…

She's falling down"

_Judy _by the Corrs

* * *

"Sarah!" Toby cried in surprise as Leah faded away. Sarah's mouth fell open in shock; she hadn't believed it would really work. Her jaw opened and closed several times before she got her voice back.

"Holy hell," she breathed.

"Sarah! How could you!?! How could you do that!?!" Sarah stared down at her little brother as he pounded his tiny fists into her side, angry tears slid down his face.

"I-," she started when she noticed the familiar giggles surrounding them. "Toby, go to your room! Don't' come out until it's safe. Then call Aunt Lila for help, okay?" He shook his little head in anger.

"No, I want to come with you! Leah is important to me! She-she understands!"

"Sorry…but only one person can run the labyrinth at a time," a nasal voice droned, Sarah and Toby turned to see the little goblin who had spoken.

"Um…where's Jareth?" Sarah asked in both relief and regret that the king of the Goblins hadn't greeted her himself, the little goblin stiffened.

"His majesty is far too bust for insignificant trifles, like this one." Sarah blinked as he waved his hand and she found herself on the same hillside Jareth had brought her to the first time. "He endowed me with the powers to foresee the labyrinth, you have the customary thirteen hours to complete it and make an appeal to have your friend released." The goblin's voice irritated Sarah as she started down the hill. The little goblin rolled his eyes and vanished himself back to his comfortable bad. Damn humans, interrupting his sleep in the middle of the night.

Toby stood at the table, eyes still staring at the space his sister had been standing, with is eyes bugged out. He gaped a moment longer before shoving the last of his grilled cheese into his mouth. They would be fine, Sarah'd run the maze before and won, she could do it again. The front door opened and his parents came stalking in, screaming at each other. He, on the other hand, wouldn't be fine for long. He gulped and cowered away.

Sarah looked around her; the labyrinth was silent and dark. Not a single creature stirred under the lavender colored light. She glanced around cautiously as she headed down to the labyrinth's main gate, her foot caught on a rock and she fell to the ground in a heavy heap. "Just great Sarah, just great, wonderful start," she murmured sarcastically to herself. She pulled herself up and stomped to the doors in a fouler mood than before. She pushed…then pulled, and found that they were locked. "F*ck," she muttered. A sound came from behind her and she whirled around. "Who's there?" she called threateningly.

"Sarah…is that you?" the small figure moved closer to her in the dark.

"…Hoggle?" she gasped in surprise, the short goblin stumbled towards her in the half light, and Sarah could see her friends had grown more aged and stooped slightly over a wizen wooden cane. He laughed as their eyes met and lit with recognition.

"How'd you get here again? One would have thought you'd o've learned your lesson the first time." Sarah suddenly fell to her knees and pulled her friend into a tight hug.

"Hoggle! I missed you so much!" she cried, ignoring the question. "I should have come sooner. I-I…oh Hoggle, I've done something stupid again." Hoggle chuckled and patted her back awkwardly.

"Don't worry Sarah, a lot of people do stupid things," Sarah smiled back him and rose to her full height. "Com'mon, you can stay with me until it's light."

"Bu-but my friend!" she stuttered.

"Don't worry about them, there's a faster way through the maze and it will be light in an hour anyway. Come Sarah, we've much about." Sarah sighed and followed her friend.

* * *

Lean dropped from several feet in the air onto the cold hard ground, when she arrived in the Underworld.

"Gah!" she cried out, if her ribs and head hadn't been painful before, they were now. She lay there, panting, trying to get air into her lungs. Each breath was torture. She squeezed the tears clouding her vision from her eyes and opened them. She found herself in absolute darkness; her breaths came more quickly as she panicked. "F*ck, f*ck, f*ck," she whispered as she mentally checked herself, she was sure that at least one of her ribs had been broken in the fall.

"Such language from a lady, what is the world coming to?" a sarcastic voice asked her out of the darkness.

"Please…help me," she gasped out.

"Help her?" another voice sneered.

"Maybe she should help us first," said the first voice with a dry chuckle, Leah didn't like how he'd said the phrase and she tried to sit up, but found she couldn't.

"I…I don't think I can get up," she murmured, closing her eyes to try to concentrate around the sharp throbbing in her head. She was in pain each time she moved.

"Hear that? She's stuck," said the first voice.

"Ha ha, stupid human," the second said gleefully, and the two broke into uproarious laughter. A light suddenly illuminated the darkness and the voices stopped. Leah found herself in a door-less cavern.

"H-hello?" she asked, she tried again to push herself up and fell back with a cry of pain.

"Are you dying?" a new voice asked from a place in the room she couldn't turn towards.

"N-no…just hurt…my ribs."

"Hmm…you'll be fine." A goblin walked into her line of sight and studied her.

"Were there other people here earlier?"

"Hmm? Oh no, those were just the Voices, some times they say things in dark hallways, pay no attention to them." He came to her side and knelt down.

"The voices of what?" she asked.

"Dunno, just the Voices, dunno where they're from."

"Oh?" Leah flinched as the goblin prodded at her side. "Hey!" she cried, swatting his hands away. She glowered at him, "What do you want?"

"Mmm, nothing, the head goblin of the Labyrinth Facilities said that you might need some assistance." He sat back on his heels and surveyed the pained expression on her face unsympathetically. "I have to move you elsewhere, but there's a problem."

"What?" she hissed out.

"I wasn't expecting a full grown woman," he smiled at her in amusement. Leah let out a puff of air and rolled her eyes.

"What can I do to help you then?" she asked.

"You can try walking for yourself for starters." The young goblin smirked. Leah glared at his uncompassionate face.

"Bugger," she murmured under her breath. "Fine, you'll have to help me sit up then." He nodded and went to push her back. "Nu-uh," she shook her head at him and held a hand out in front of herself. "I'm hurt dingus, no offense, but pulling is the better option." He rolled his eyes and walked back to her outstretched hand. He pulled and she pushed with her other hand, and in no time she was sitting up. She sat for a long moment, hands wrapped around herself, eyes filled with tears, gasping for breath.

"Come on, come on, I don't have all night," Leah shot him a look and they soon had her on her feet, she leaned heavily on the small goblin's shoulder.

"Alright," she gasped out, "let's go." The goblin nodded and pulled her, stumbling along, behind himself through a door he's righted. "Where are we going anyway?" she asked, clutching the wall with her free hand for support.

"To the castle beyond the Goblin City," she nodded slightly, "I'm glad we're out of that oubliette. Those things give me the creeps." Leah shuddered in agreement and allowed her little guide to steer her along the dark corridors.

* * *

Sarah sat on the floor in Hoggle's small hut; she clutched her knees tight against her chest. She and Hoggle had been talking for an hour. He and the rest of her friends were doing well. They talked about how Jareth had pulled back within himself, after she left. Sarah was confused. She didn't know what the Goblin King had wanted from her. She watched as the sun began to rise over the labyrinth. Hoggle made a soft noise as he sipped something from the clay mug in his hands.

"I'm sure your friend will be fine. His majesty has gotten soft over the years when it comes to changing children into goblins."

"But, Leah isn't a child, she's my age," Sarah replied, worry creating creases in her forehead.

"Oh…well then… You may want to hurry and find her before she angers the king."

"Yeah, she has a habit of pissing off everyone she meets," she chuckled at the thought of the pompous king meeting her sarcastic friend; she stood, stooped over to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling, again. "Could you please take me to the castle now Hoggle?"

"Of course Sarah," he smiled and followed her out of the house. They walked slowly, due to Hoggle's old legs, to the piece of the wall the worm had told Sarah about all those years ago. Hoggle pulled her to the left instead of the right.

"Damn worm lied to me," Sarah muttered and shook her head with a soft smile. Hoggle turned towards her from farther down the corridor.

"Let's hurry Sarah, before your friend angers the king," Sarah nodded and hurried after him.

AN: Sorry, I wanted to write some more but I think that it will work better in the next chapter, than in this one. So next chapter you'll be reinroduced to our favoirite Goblin king and see what his and Sarah's reactions are when they re-meet...or something like that.

Always yours...Wanda xD


	3. Of Strong Women and Dishonest Smiles

Of Strong Women and Dishonest Smiles 

Disclaimer: _Labyrinth _is property of A.C.H. Smith, Jim Henson and others; I don't own it or the characters.

* * *

"We were the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, -

This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,

And mouth with myriad subtleties."

"We Wear the Mask" – Paul Laurence Dunbar

* * *

Jareth strode into his throne room and came to a halt; a young woman was lounging in _his_ throne. He stood at the doorframe hesitantly and stared at her unmoving frame. One of his goblins flittered about her, and one of her hands languidly rose and waved him off.

"Not now Dotson," the girl's pretty voice floated over to him, "I'm sleeping."

"But Ms. Leah, this is the king's chair! You can't sit here!"

"Mmm, it's really comfortable," she cracked one eye open and gave the little goblin an amused look. "Must be good to be the king, huh sugar?" She gave a soft smile.

"Yes, yes it is actually," Jareth answered her, sauntering into the room.

"Your majesty, I would get up…but, I'm afraid you'd probably just take my seat," he quirked a glittering brow at her.

"How did you get here?" he asked his voice thick with strained amusement. This little no one, thinking they could sit in _his_chair.

"I got wished away, how else would I get here?" her eyes focused on him then turned unfocused and her face screwed into a blank mask.

"Dotson is sorry Boss! She was hurt when she was transported and-" Jareth waved his hand sharply and the goblin cowered away, stunned into silence.

"I will deal with your incompetence later," he growled at Dotson, his face visible smoothed itself of wrinkles as he turned towards Leah. "How were you hurt, pet?" he asked her. She struggled into a sitting position and Dotson rushed to her side to support her, he murmured soothing things as she tightly gripped the chair's sides. When the spasm of pain ended she patted the little goblin's head fondly. "Well pet?"

"I'm not your 'pet'," she snapped, standing suddenly, Dotson yelped as her hand tightened painfully around his shoulder. She loosened her grip on his shoulder and released him; she gritted her teeth and took a step to close the distance between them. She stared up at the Goblin King with a look of defiance that was unrivaled. She jabbed him sharply in the chest, "Back off," she barked, eyes full of pain. Jareth snatched her hand away and glared back at her, he cracked a small sarcastic smile.

"What did I ever do to you, _pet_?" he hissed back.

"Well, for starters, you dropped me in an oubliette…which probably broke a rib, as if I wasn't in enough pain already!" she wrenched her hand from him and threw herself off balance, a lithe arm caught her by the hip and stopped her fall.

"Ms. Leah, Ms. Leah!" Dotson twittered, prodding at her hands, "Are you alright?" the poor little creatures crust rounded eyes were filled with worried tears. Leah's face softened as she looked down at him. She gently removed Jareth's hand from her hip and turned towards Dotson.

"Don't cry for me Dot," she wiped the stray tears from the goblin's face with the edge of her sleeve. "Don't _ever_ cry for me, I'll be alright, I'm pretty tough."

"So…you're what they call a strong woman then?" Jareth asked, trying to lighten the situation, the young woman began to bristle and then suddenly relaxed, as if spent.

"Something like that, your highness," she said, sending him a tight smile over her shoulder. "Sorry," she dropped her eyes, "I didn't mean to…attack you before…I'm just…there's so much I should be doing…and-never mind, you wouldn't understand. There's someone Aboveground that needs me…and I can't let him down, so many people already have."

"Oh…your lover?"

"Ha ha, no…but he _is_ the love of my life. Stupid little kid, worming his way into my heart," she chuckled and wiped at her teary eyes. She turned and gave Jareth a brief smile.

"Oh…well then, my little brother has a thing for strong women…maybe you'd like to put him in his place." Leah laughed and gave him a genuine smile.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm the king, I'm _always _serious," he gave her a crooked grin, "Sit, as a gentleman, I cannot have a lady in distress remain in discomfort in my presence." He gave her a crisp bow and watched as Dotson helped her back into his throne.

"Your majesty is _too generous_."

"But of course, it is one of my particular characteristics," he replied dryly.

"So…a brother who likes strong women?" she changed the subject, taking on a solemn façade. Jareth smirked at her and pushed his hair behind his shoulder.

"Of course, he just loves it when a woman rules over him, he's ecstatic when a woman takes the lead and makes the first move." She returned him smirk with a contemptuous one of her own.

"I'm sure he does," she purred back.

"For a woman who's going to be turned into a goblin in a few hours, you're oddly nonchalant." He looked at her inquisitively.

"Aw, I was hoping that my remarkable wit and blinding beauty would win me some sympathy." Jareth raised an eyebrow at the filthy girl stretched out in his chair. Beauty she was not, pretty maybe…He smothered a chuckle with a tightlipped grin. "So…Mr. Tightpants, tell me more about this brother of yours."

"_Mr_. Tightpants?" he asked, suffocating another light chuckle.

"Oh, I'm sorry, _King_ Tightpants that was rude of me, not using your proper title. How _unforgivable_." She kept a comically straight face as she sarcastically replied. Jareth did chuckle this time, glancing at Dotson, who was scratching his head, completely lost.

"My dear _pet_, it is fine, just remember that it is _king_."

"Right-o your majesty."

"Hmm…since you're amused me so…I'll give you a chance to watch your friend as they stumble through the maze." He produced an orb from nowhere and offered it to her. He was surprised when she didn't immediately take it.

"Sorry…" she chewed on her lip for a moment, as he began to retract his hand she reached out and took it. "I hope that by taking this I haven't become indebted to you or anything. I don't know this story too well." His brows shot up, it explained why she wasn't as shocked to be here as most of the others her age had been.

"No…nothing like that pet, think of it as a gift."

"Thank you," she murmured sincerely as he turned and began to leave the throne room. He paused and shot over his shoulder:

"Gratitude is not becoming of you."

"Oh…um sorry, but how does this work?" she waved the crystal at him. He sighed.

"Just concentrate on the person and it will show them to you." Leah grinned slightly.

"She'll probably have that stupid worried expression on her face," she murmured to herself. She concentrated on Sarah and she appeared in the small orb, "Hah, she really does…oh look at that." Jareth rolled his eyes as he continued walking away. "Hey, King Tightpants!" she called.

"What?" he gave her a haughty expression and was surprised at the playful expression on her face.

"Knock, knock," he gave her a concerned look, the girl possible had gone mad in the transition between the mortal realm and the Underworld, it would explain how she was acting. He opened his mouth to express his unease when the main door to the throne room burst open.

* * *

Sarah rushed into the throne room, Hoggle hobbled along behind her. She spied her best friend propped up in the Goblin King's throne, a crystal in her hands, and made a beeline for her.

"About time you got here you stupid ass. You frickin' wish me away and expect me to put up with all this fantasy crap without you. Not you Dotson, I like you. But! Never again Sarah, promise me that!" Leah shouted at her. The little goblin at her side tried to still her as her face became a horrible mask of pain. Sarah panicked at this, afraid of what the Goblin King had possibly done to her friend.

"Leah!" she cried as she raced forward, she had an effervescent smile plastered on her face, glad that Leah was still in one piece, as she neared the throne a thin hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist with a vice like grip. "Ah!" she cried, as the stranger twirled her against his chest.

"Is that you precious thing?" a familiar baritone voice breathed in her ear. She gasped and tried to pull away from him, to no avail.

"Stop it!" she shouted, more in anger than fear. He chuckled menacingly against her ear.

"She said 'stop it' King Tightpants," Leah had gotten up and staggered over to where they were struggling against each other. "Let her breath," she smacked him in the back of the head. He released Sarah and slowly turned towards Leah, eye twitching in irritation. He could have Bogged her at that moment, but she had already turned her attention to Sarah. "And you, stop wishing defenseless people away," she repeatedly smacked the taller woman until Sarah caught her hand and gripped it between her own.

"I'm so sorry Leah, it was a stupid thing to do…I-I was upset and…it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"When is it ever a good idea to wish someone away, I don't want to be a goblin Sarah! Who would care for your brother if I got stuck here!?!" Sarah's eyes softened and she engulfed the smaller woman in a loose hug.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…Leah, don't be mad." Leah rolled her eyes at this and patted her friend on the head, reassuringly.

"Stop being stupid and get us out of here," Sarah nodded and released her. "Oh, and you're forgiven…you know I can't stay mad at you." Sarah smile knowingly. Jareth stood waiting for the love of his life to finally take notice of him; he tapped his foot impatiently as the sappy reunion. She turned and he suddenly found it very hard to breathe.

When she had first come crashing into his throne room he had stopped dead in his tracks, entranced by her. He had been consumed with the way her dark hair flew behind her just so, the tiny wrinkle of worry between her eyes…oh her sweet green eyes…right above those pink kissable lips he'd wanted to taste since- He was pulled from his musings when his 'pet' called out her name. Anger took the place of adoration and he wanted to scare her, he'd reached out and grabbed her because of this impulse.

But now, as he stood staring at the object of his affections…and hr cruel perfection, he couldn't bring himself to hate her. She had always been so precious to him. And here she stood before him, all grown up, and she was breath taking. Sarah gazed up at him for a long moment, studying him. He was still as pale, as thin, as perfect as when she'd first left. The glitter above his eyes was not quite as glittery as it had been before. It felt like she was dreaming again.

"Jareth…" she murmured, the name brought her back to reality and her eyes hardened when they met his eternally mismatched eyes.

"_Precious thing_, what do you want of me this time?" his voice came out strangled with bitterness. Leah cocked her head as the two began to try to stare the other down."I've come for my friend," she stated firmly. Jareth took a cocky stance and allowed an airy annoying smirk to grace his lips. "And I _am_ going to take her back with me."

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he tasted her name on his tongue, it had been too long since he last used it, "I'm afraid I can't let her do that," he stated in a calm voice.

"You can't keep her here!" Sarah shouted angrily, she was anything but calm in the Goblin King's presence.

"Yes, yes I can. You see, if I send her back now, she will never be able to heal."

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked in an icy voice, "If you've done anything to her I'll-"

"Don't think so badly of me, she was partially hurt when she arrived and some carelessness on my part led to her current state."

"It doesn't explain why she won't heal though."

"Well, the law of the land states, and I quote: If a mortal is hurt outside of their own plane they must stay in the place where they received the injury. If they leave that plane, for any amount of time, the injury shall remain and their bones will not heal, their tendons will remain torn, and they will never stop bleeding. End quote, do you understand me, _Sarah_?" she glowered, uncertainly, at him. "Or will you selfishly put your friend at risk to save yourself from the things you've been running from up until now?"

"I would never do anything to hurt Leah!" she spat, her temper bubbled hotly beneath her skin.

"And yet you send her into my world in a condition that allows her to get hurt to a point where she cannot walk on of her own accord." He snapped back, gesturing towards her friend.

"What!?! You-!" Sarah cried out, only to have Leah slap her free hand over her mouth.

"Don't blame her, your highness, she didn't know," Leah stated calmly, dropping her hand.

"How could she not know?" he asked incredulously.

"Because I didn't tell her," Leah shot back, her own temper trickling into her voice. "She had enough to worry about at the moment. And I'd never burden her with my problems."

"Leah!" Sarah cried in shock.

"Shut up for a moment," Leah cut off any further protest from her friend and regarded the Goblin King with an air of seriousness. "During my stay here…where will I sleep? Who will make sure that I am healed enough to leave?" Sarah began to protest and Leah slapped her hand back over her mouth.

"You would stay here, and I would personally make sure you were taken care of in every aspect, pet."

"Well, now that that's sorted out, where will Sarah be staying?" Sarah gasped from behind her friends hand and Jareth looked taken aback.

"P-pardon?" he asked a shocked look on his face.

"If she leaves me here, when I get back, I'll kill her…with my bare hands. And I will not regret it. So, this is more for her safety then for my sake." Jareth sighed and massaged the bridged of his thin nose.

"I will arrange for her to stay in a room close to yours. Does that suit your taste, pet?" Leah nodded slowly

"You will provide everything for us? Clothes? Food?"

"What type of host would I be if I didn't?" he replied, resigned to his fate.

"Excellent, now…if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find somewhere to pass out…enjoy your argument." She released Sarah's mouth.

"Dotson, take her to the…hmm…blue room, that one should be empty at the moment."

"Yes, Boss, right away Boss!" Dotson cried as he steadied Leah and they began the long walk out of the room, when they vanished from view Jareth and Sarah locked eyes.

"So…precious thing…what madness caused you to send the pet here?"

"That's really none of your business, _King Tightpants_," Jareth winced.

"Don't call me that, it only sounds right when the pet says it."

"Why must you call her that?" Sarah snapped.

"She has all the characteristics of a good pet: charming, loyal, doe-eyed, cute, and fun to play with. Are you afraid she'll take your place precious?" Sarah glared at him, and decided that the question didn't dignify an answer. And a long silence stretched out between them.

"Um…your majesty?" Sarah and Jareth turned towards the long forgotten Hoggle. "May I report on the goings on of the council to you now, or would you prefer I wait until you are less…indisposed?"

"No, no, Hoggle my good friend, I would just_ love_ to hear how that infernal council is doing."

"Council?" Sarah questioned.

"The Fae Council…well, you can certainly use that vivid imagination of yours to dream up who would be there." He glanced at her then reverted his eyes back to Hoggle's stooped, and generally less appealing, figure.

"They are actually pleased with you this time. Everyone is in favor of your All Hallows Eve celebration, especially the masquerade."

"Well, that's good news; normally they're appalled by my parties."

"The council thought that it would be a good opportunity to try to present both you and your brother with suitable mates."

"Oh…that reminds me, how did he do with the last princess?" Hoggle stifled a laugh.

"Apparently she tried to climb into his bed with him and found that he was not there and that her sister had had the same idea." Jareth chuckled at this.

"How many have tried that on him now?"

"I believe he's pushing…sixty now, my lord."

"Ah, that little heart breaking devil. One day, perhaps, his record will rival my own."

"Maybe one day, my lord, if he ever stops fleeing his fiancées."

"When will he arrive back?"

"He's probably skulking around the castle now, majesty."

"Thank you my friend, please stay for dinner tonight, I would feel bad if you had to walk all the way home after only just arriving here."

"Thank you majesty," Hoggle bowed and scuttled off through one of the room's many doors.

"Since when is Hoggle an adviser…? And, you have a brother?"

"Well, Sarah, many things have changed since you were last here. Walk with me, and we'll discuss it as…old friends." Sarah nodded distractedly, noting for the first time that he was wearing pants instead of tights. Jareth linked one of his arms with hers and propelled her into a leisurely gate. "Hoggle became an adviser just a year, in my time, after you…left. I had an incident with the council and…was banned." He chuckled softly to himself, "I don't remember the event too well."

"Because it was so long ago?"

"What? Oh no…because of all the alcohol…I don't remember much of that year, actually." He cleared him throat and became more serious. "Hoggle became a valuable asset to me, as both a friend and mentor. Oh, and I've always had a younger brother. He's a few hundred years younger than me and he seems to have developed a great fear of women in recent years….that includes you, apparently he didn't like my description of you." Sarah made a face at him.

"That's a first; I've never had someone dislike me before…how did you describe me?"

"…Er, best not to mention it."

"Oh really…were they bad things?" she asked with the slightest of smirks, the man next to her looked uncomfortable.

"…I may have called you a 'heartless harridan'…and some other choice words."

"Harridan?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"Er…best not mention that either."

"Ergh! Jareth you're insufferable!"

"And you're cruel, but despite that you are my precious thing."

"Yeah, well, I do try," Sarah retorted, hoping he'd stop sounding so affectionate.

"Good, I thought cruelty just came naturally to you. Perhaps you are a better person than I first thought."

"Jareth!" the two continued to bicker as they walked down the hall, arm in arm.

* * *

Dotson bustled about Leah's room, bringing her water when she was thirsty, opening and closing the window, depending on her temperature and changing the wraps the healer had left Leah swaddled in. Dotson found the task of caring for Leah both entertaining, because of her cheerful demeanor, and embarrassing, because he had to help her rebind her ribs very time they became loose. He had never been this close to a woman before, and to have certain parts of her in his care, like this, caused him to blush a light blue hue continuously. If Leah ever noticed, she said nothing about it.

"Leah, sit still!" Dotson cried in frustration, a furious shade of indigo, "It's hard enough to do this without your squiggling!" Leah chuckled darkly; the herbs the healer had given her had taken away the pain to the point where there was only a dull ache somewhere behind her left ear. This left her slightly cranky. She squirmed awkwardly as the small goblin tried to tie her bindings off at her side. Leah took a moment to study her little friend of a few hours; after the haze of pain had been lifted everything seemed much clearer. He wore a stained paisley tie and a striped sock hat. He had little overalls that were comically tight on his pudgy frame. His face was pig like with wrinkles of fat and grim coating it. He was clumsy and could not smile for long because of his porky face, and seemed to be constantly worried. He was cute in a sad way, Leah reached out and patted his shoulder.

"I wanna go outside," she declared, giddy, like an unruly child.

"Leah!" he cried back, in surprise at the mischievous glow in her hazel eyes. "I couldn't possibly support you the whole time! I'm so tired of caring for you as it is." Leah smiled at him.

"Then find someone to carry me!"

"Leah, don't be unreasonable!"

"But, I like being unreasonable, it's how I operate…oh please Dot, please!" He crossed his chubby arms and shook his head. "Just this once, please…I'll give you anything you want."

"I want you hair clip!" Dot blurted before he could restrain himself or his excitement.

"Hmm…it is quite fancy, now isn't it?" she pulled the small purple plastic moon from her hair and held it out to him. He snatched at it and she pulled it out of reach. "Only if you get someone to help me get outside, you can even leave me with them when they're done." Dot nodded his head vigorously and raced from the room. Leah struggled to get her long sleeved shirt back on and got stuck with it over her head, unable to pull it down because of her two broken ribs.

"I found someone, Leah!" Dot's muffled voice cried.

"Um…a little help Dot, I seem to be stuck." A pair of strong arms pulled her shirt the rest of the way down. She grinned at her savior. "Thanks, it was dark in there," she joked.

"Damn it Dotson! This is a girl! I'm not helping some girl!" Leah looked up into a face with pale skin and even paler silver eyes. He had unruly dark brown locks that shaped a haphazard halo around his head. One long strand fell to the right side of his face; three clay beads clung to it.

"Dot…uh, who is this?" Leah asked a light flush coming to her face as she realized he's previously helped her with her shirt.

"Oh…um this is my friend and master, Prince Dorian, I asked him to come and help."

"He was unspecific as to who needed help. He failed to mention that the invalid was a plain-faced brat." Dorian snapped back.

"Hmm…so Jareth's brother…" Leah mused to herself. His face was a softer, less angular version of his brother's. He's nose wasn't as sharp and he was devoid of any glitter, his clothing choice was conservative and dark in color. He wore a turtle neck that ended just below his ribs with a vest with a high collar over it. "Well I'm no exactly an 'invalid', as you so kindly put it, but I am in need of some assistance. And Dot and I had an understanding, so…do what you promised your friend and help me." Dot's eyes shone in glee as the Prince's face contorted in disbelief. "Or does the word of Goblin royalty mean less than nothing?" He scowled at her and hesitantly gave her a stiff bow.

"What do you require of me, _my lady_?" he asked sarcastically. Dot squealed in delight and nearly pounced on Leah, who flinched away from his scrambling form.

"Gimme, gimmie what you promised," he cried, ecstatically. Leah rolled her eyes and handed the goblin the plastic hair accessory.

"Take it you thief," she gave a brief smile as Dot fled the room with his prize. 'Now, Mr. Prince, take me outside!" she cried dramatically from her seat on her bed. Dorian rolled his eyes and advanced on her.

"How would you like to be carried?" he asked in a bland voice.

"Piggy-back!" she cried, he spun around before her and knelt. He felt her struggle the few feet between them before she languidly dropped her arms around his neck from behind.

"As you wish, _my lady_," she playfully whacked him lightly in the back of the head as he grabbed her under her knees and stood.

"Don't be so sarcastic."

"Where shall I take you?" he asked her through gritted teeth.

"Outside! Somewhere where it's sunny!" Dorian rolled his eyes at the excitement in her voice, and started out the door.

"You do know that I will always hold it against you that you used the 'Goblin royalty' honor card, to get me to do this."

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't betting on you forgiving me. Now hurry forward my noble steed! The sun shan't stay in the sky forever!"

"I hate you, just so you know."

"I don't think you're exactly peaches and cream either, but you are just a vehicle to carry me. And as long as I have you under my thumb I will work you as I see fit!"

"No, that's a lie…I really, really hate you, you and your stupid power trip."

"Fair enough," she smiled into his silky hair as he plodded along, "I don't like me very much sometimes too, but I think you'll get over it. I always do." She laughed as he made a frustrated noise.

"This is the most embarrassing thing I've ever done in my life. Can't you get my brother to do this, or something? You're his woman right? That Sarah girl he always drivels over?" Leah stiffened.

"No, I'm not his woman or any other man's so…I don't think he'd come if I asked."

"Oh…that's right, he said that Sarah was breathtakingly beautiful, you're not even close."

"Put me down," Leah suddenly barked, Dorian stopped appalled that comparing her to Sarah had insulted her. "Now, damn it! I'll figure out my own way outside!" she snapped, releasing his neck and prying at his hands on her legs. Dorian smirked, finally a chance to get back at this girl for her insults.

"No, I think not," he tightened his grip on her, "I'm still bound to my duty to take you outside."

"Then I release you from that duty, put me down!" Dorian unceremoniously dropped her, Leah cried out in pain when her backside made contact with the ground and jarred her ribs. Dorian stood over her and watched as she clutched her ribs in distress. She blinked back tears as she looked up at him. "Bastard," she hissed pathetically. Dorian watched her for a long moment before scooping her up in his arms, continuing in the direction they had been headed before her little outburst. "I said put me down," she blubbered.

"No, I'll do whatever I want," he shot back, not looking at her. "Besides, I made you cry and I feel bad about that." Dorian cringed as she looked up at him with her tear filled eyes. _Blast, a woman's tears, his one weakness._ "I…am sorry for any thing I said that offended you."

"Don't worry about it, I should be used to being compared to Sarah by now. I blame any emotional out bursts I have on whatever that healer made me drink." Dorian chuckled.

"Mortals and medicine don't always react well to one another, I'm surprised that you haven't started having hallucinations or…_allusions of grandeur_."

"I'm sorry about that, I don't know what came over me. I…feel claustrophobic in that room. Too much old, dreary furniture…it's horrible. And the only things in the wardrobe are frilly dresses no woman in her right mind would wear." Dorian chuckled lightly.

"I didn't catch your name earlier; I'm Dorian, nice to meet you…?"

"Leah, the pleasure is all mine." She patted him on the shoulder in greeting and he drummed a finger on her back in response. "…This would be so much less awkward if we were still doing the piggy back thing." Leah flushed lightly.

"How so?"

"Well, I wouldn't feel like such a child, being cradled in you arms is very demeaning for my tough girl exterior. And every time I look at you, all I can see is your Adam's apple…which is an awkward reminder that I haven't gotten this close to a guy since Sarah and I became friends."

"It's weird for me too, generally by this time I'm a quivering mass of nerves. I have a fear of women you see. They give me the jelly knees." He laughed, coloring slightly too.

"Then why'd you agree to carry me if you have such 'jelly knees'?" he stopped walking and she could feel his legs quaking beneath her.

"I'm not too afraid of you for some reason, it's probably because you're not trying to seduce me and you can't chase me if I decide to run away."

"Happen often?" she asked, grinning slightly.

"You have no idea, it freaks the hell out of me." Leah absentmindedly patted his chest, trying to be reassuring, he tensed up slightly.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to do that!" she quickly tried to reassure him, "You just seemed like you needed to- oh blast, it doesn't matter now does it?" he shook his head slightly.

"It's alright, I'm fine, I'm fine." He murmured under his breath. They finally came the end of the hall and walked out through an open door into a lush courtyard.

"Oh!" Leah breathed. "Put me over there, put me over there!" she tugged on the collar of his vest and pointed at a sunny patch of grass. Dorian smiled, her enthusiasm was infectious.

"Ok, ok, stop pulling on me," she stopped and smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she sighed slightly and he set her down in the grass. She stretched out cat like and her face took on a mask of bliss.

"D-don't mention it." He sat down next to her.

"Hmm…what are you doing?"

"You'll have to go back inside sometime, and it would be better if I stayed instead of leaving and coming back, right?" Leah stifled a laugh and patted the grass beside her.

"Lay down, you make me nervous when you loom over me like that, and you block the sun." Dorian nodded and leaned back stiffly. "Look!" she pointed at the sky and he looked in the direction she was pointing, "That cloud looks like Jareth's pants!" Dorian looked at the offending cloud and laughed, it did resemble his brother's pants.

"Look over there! It's Dotson!" Leah looked at the cloud he was pointing at and smiled, it did look like their little goblin friend. The two continued to do this until night fell and Dorian lifted Lean onto his back, laughing with her, all the way to the dinning room for the lavish feast Jareth had had prepared for their unexpected guests.

AN: I'm sorry if this chapter is a bit awkward, I feel like I bounce around the character's toooo much. And Leah is a bit of a mood ring when she's medicated. Ha-ha it can only get better…right?


	4. Aun Existe Amor love still exists

Aun Existe Amor (Love Still Exits)

"Mas alla de la violencia

Mas alla de la locura

A pesar de tanto mal que nos separa

Cuando te adormeces junto a mi

Entonces no me quedan dudas

De que aun existe amor

Sé que aun existe amor

Sé que aun existe amor"*

"Aun Existe Amor" By Celine Dion

* * *

The dinning hall was heavy with the scents of the delicious and steaming foods littering the table. Leah smiled widely as it came into view and her stomach growled loudly. Jareth and Sarah, who had previously been glaring across the table at one another, looked up and smiled.

"Ah, pet, you're finally here," he gave the barest of nods to his brother. "Here, come sit by me, I don't bite, pet…or at least not unless you're Sarah." He smirked across the table at the now cherry faced brunette.

"Oh, what did he do now Sarah?" Leah asked as Dorian placed her in her seat and hesitantly took the chair next to the volatile Sarah.

"He bit my ear! There are no grounds for someone like him, especially given the relationship we have, to do something as- as-!"

"Erotic?" Leah suggested helpfully.

"NO! 'inappropriate', as that!"

"Pet…I think I've broken her." Jareth whispered, still smirking.

"Naw, she's always like this…especially when she's embarrassed." Sarah glared at him and gripped her wine glass tightly. Dorian fidgeted nervously at her side.

"Er…how did you two become friends anyway?" he finally asked, hoping to relieve the tension that had settled around the table. Leah visibly paled for a moment and Sarah cracked an edgy smile.

"Mmm…that isn't…well Leah…it is kinda a bigger deal for you than for me…you wanna tell them or should I -?"

"No! I'll tell them," Leah cried suddenly, "you don't tell it right so I need to." Jareth looked at his pet, startled at her burst of energy, normally she was so lazy and sloth like. "Well we…er…er met in a group therapy and became friends."

"Therapy?" Dorian questioned, looking at one then the other. Sarah and Leah locked eyes and Sarah sighed, and continued where Leah left off.

"Well I was in therapy because my step-mom thought that I'd become completely delusional after my…last trip here."

"And I was in there…because my step-father decided it would be better for me than my hanging around when he was drunk. So…I was kinda there everyday…like it was child care or something," Leah picked up where Sarah left off.

"In the end we became friends, initially because she believed me about this place, and we ended up working in the same theater company. I was an actress."

"And I was her singing voice-over." Leah smirked wistfully, panic forgotten.

"You just don't like my singing because it's unique!" Sarah shot back.

"Neither does the birds, dogs or small children, f*cking scares them." Sarah's eye twitched, but she didn't argue the point further. Jareth smirked arrogantly.

"I myself happen to be an excellent singer," he puffed himself up and tossed his hair over his shoulder in a royal fashion.

"You also wear sinfully tight pants…do they let you sing in a higher octave or something?" Leah asked, taking a bite out of the piece of meat she'd been carving. Jareth turned slowly, deflating as he glared at the pet.

"F*ck you," he finally hissed.

"Jareth! Language!" Hoggle yelled as he walked in and took his place at the head of the table. Jareth's face soured further, as Leah smiled smugly at her peas. "It's not appropriate for using in front of your guests, let along, in front of the ladies." He continued to chastise.

"Hoggle, my dear old friend, sometimes I wish that I had Bogged you when Sarah gave you that kiss," Hoggle stiffened and shut up, Jareth managed a half-smile in victory before he scowled again.

"Ah, at last, our fearsome and mighty leader has returned to us," Leah remarked, sipping from her wine glass. Jareth clenched his teeth and stared at the table, as if he could set it ablaze in his fury, with the power of his gaze alone.

"Must you antagonize him, Leah?" Dorian asked quickly, hoping to the gods that his brother would pull it together.

"Yes…I must," Leah glanced at Jareth's rigid form. "How else would I become better friends with his highness?" Dorian quirked a brow at Sarah, she shrugged, just as confused. Leah jabbed Jareth lightly with her fork. "Jareth…all friendships, good loving relationships, are based on two things." Jareth snorted and turned away from her. "The first, unsurprisingly, is sarcasm," she paused to the meat she had just popped into her mouth. She swallowed and wiped her mouth daintily.

"And the second?" Jareth asked, giving her a sidelong glance.

"Oh, that's also simple: hatred. Mutual, ground shattering dislike for the other person, everything they stand for, and all the things they hold dear." Sarah rolled her eyes; she'd heard this speech before.

"Why…?" Dorian asked, aghast.

"Because, if you don't hate a friend as much as you're supposed to, you don't know them; if you don't know and hate every fidget, habit, and characteristic of them, how can you make them change or reform into someone better?"

"What about 'love'?" Dorian asked, again he couldn't believe the words coming so calmly out of her mouth.

"Oh there's love, it's fueled by the hate, because, despite every sort coming, that person is very dear to you. Your love is the glue that keeps the sarcasm and hate from tearing you apart, and the hate is the refining fire that purifies but doesn't change the person initially."

"And the sarcasm?" Jareth asked, dark mood suddenly lifted.

"How else would you survive them?"

"Who?"

"Your friends," Leah stuffed a roll into her mouth, apparently thinking that the conversation was over.

"Pet, you both enthrall and annoy me." Leah swallowed loudly.

"Then we are well on the road towards friendship," she gave him a cheerful and lazy smile, and lapsed into silence. Jareth turned back towards Sarah.

"Who would have thought that you, Sarah, were best friends with a philosopher?" Sarah's eye twitched noticeably, and Leah smiled at her nearly empty plate, "Something wrong, precious?"

"No…she," she indicated towards Leah with an accusatory finger, "just thinks that our," she gestured towards him and then herself, "relationship is one of the greatest advocates for her _little theory_." Sarah spat out quietly.

"Oh…"

"She made it up after she first heard about…this place…and you…and me…" Sarah looked away from him suddenly. Silence reigned over the table, only interrupted by the sound of chewing and slurping from its occupants. The mood was oddly comfortable as a little goblin strode into the room carrying a goblin sized violin on his shoulder.

"Ms, ms, Doddery play for you, mmm?" he tugged gently on the leg of Leah's pants. She stared down at the stunted furry creature in confusion. "Ms want to dance? Doddery play for ms." Leah gave him a brief pain filled smile, and softly stroked his grime coated head.

"I'm sorry Doddery, I can't dance right now…but perhaps his majesty and Ms Sarah would like to."

"No ms, Doddery come, because Dotson ask him to. Doddery not play for anyone but ms."

"I…can't dance Doddery."

"Then…if Doddery plays, ms will sing?" Leah's hand stopped its innocent caress and she looked startled. "Dotson say ms's singing is purdy and Doddery wants to hear." Leah sighed and nodded.

"I'll sing for you, but only if Ms Sarah and his royal highness dance." She glanced beseechingly at the Goblin King, than at Sarah. Jareth's smirk adopted a warm quality as he looked at Sarah and rose gracefully from his seat.

"B-but I'm not dressed to dance," Sarah stuttered, trying to scramble out of her chair and away before she ended up trapped in the arms of the Goblin King, again.

"Nonsense precious," Jareth snapped his fingers and outfit morphed into a pretty white blouse and pale peach colored skirt. "Dance with me," he commanded in a light tone. Doddery and Leah had been whispering together, trying to find a song they both knew, they came to an agreement and the little goblin began to play. Jareth quickly positioned them so that Sarah was forced to hold his shoulder and hand, as he gently held her waist. Leah smiled softly at them and began to quietly sing:

"We were both young when I first saw you/ I close my eyes and the flashback starts/ I'm standing there/ On a balcony in summer air," she sang the words out clearly, ignoring the notion that the song was originally a country song.

"Oh no, not this song," Sarah murmured flushing slightly, her shirt swished as Jareth moved them in a graceful dance.

"Where did one of my goblins even learn a song like this?" Jareth questioned, raising a delicate glittering brow and twirling Sarah, she was quiet for a minute.

"I…think that I like dancing with you like this," she shuddered at the thought of the mask shadowed eyes that had stared at her the last time they had danced. "This is better than the 'peach ball', actually." Jareth looked hurt.

"I worked hard on that one," he pouted slightly.

"Yes, but it was horrible for me…I was young and scared and the weird people in that thing didn't help." She poked him in the chest with the hand that was supposed to be on his shoulder. Leah continued to sing, quietly, because her poor bruised lungs could do little more than half of her usual sound.

"…One would think that you missed dancing with me, precious thing. But that can't be, now, can it?" His cold eyes soften slightly as he pulled her in closer. The continued dancing and Sarah was at a loss for words. She hadn't thought of a comeback by the time he continued, "I know I did," he leaned in and whispered in her ear. Sarah flushed slightly; Dorian watched them nervously as they twirled about. "You've gotten better since last we danced," he kept his mouth by her ear. Sarah shivered slightly, a cold chill rolling down her spine, nonetheless not unpleasantly. She glanced up at Jareth's face and caught a rare blush as it brushed itself across this nose and cheeks.

"I practiced…for…well, the next time we danced," she laughed slightly when his face deepened ever so slightly in shade from pleasure.

"I'm glad…that you're back," he pulled her closer, melding their bodies until it was difficult to tell whose limb belonged to who, he swayed with he slightly. Her cheek was pressed against his heart and his chin rested a top of her head. Leah's song finished and dwindled away, and Sarah stiffened. With the music, her natural catalyst for falling in love, gone she found herself tightly wrapped up in the Goblin King's arms. The simple intimacy of the embrace was too much for her and she blurted out the first thing she thought of.

"Only until Leah's better, then I have to go back. I have a life there Jareth, I just can't stay." He stiffened as well and they mutually pulled apart, as if the embrace had never happened. They both stared at each other on their guard, ready to throw themselves into another epic argument, that ended with both of them feeling frustrated, when Hoggle's voice brought them back.

"Oh Leah, don't fall asleep in your plate," elderly goblin called out.

"Mmmf," Leah murmured, head lolling forward before jerking back with a start. The medicine in her veins appeared to be making her sleepy.

"Let me-!" Dorian began.

"I've got her," Jareth interjected quickly, striding across the room away from impending doom, to the smaller woman's side.

"No, sa'll right, walk Sar-ah back," Leah slurred, like a drowsy child.

"Come here, pet," he pulled her chair out and opened his arms to her. Leah, thinning her lips, with a great amount of effort, just stared at the man's chest.

"No…you goes wit' Sar-ah…Dor…Dorian will take me back…is tired." Jareth gave Leah a soft, fond, grateful smile.

"As you wish, pet," he stood and made his way to where Sarah was still standing. "My lady, might I escort you back to your rooms?" Sarah sighed in defeat and took his pre-offered arm.

"Only for Leah's sake," Jareth smiled slightly wider and they swiftly exited the room. Hoggle excused himself a moment later, it was late and he needed to return home before the labyrinth became too dark.

"Of course, only for the pet," Sarah gave him a half hearted glare. "Stop looking at me like I'm going to drag you into a dark hallway and molest you, precious," he sniffed indignantly. "I'm a gentleman and would never even think of such a thing." Sarah's glare sharpened as he gave her a less than…pious smile.

"Oh course you wouldn't…your majesty." She replied coolly.

"Mmm, it's good to hear you have _faith_ in me again."

"I don't believe you can use 'again' for something that never existed." Sarah quipped. Jareth's smirk slid into a dark scowl and he snarled at her.

"You are hard, beautiful, empty and easy to see through, precious thing!"

"Don't you quote Fitzgerald to me you-you perverted king of a backwater kingdom!"

"Half rate actor!"

"Priggish stalking buffoon!"

"Harridan b*tch!"

"Heartless bastard!" they both paused, panting, and found themselves nose to nose. Jareth, an opportunist, leaned in and planted an angry kiss on her half parted lips.

"Goodnight, Sarah Williams!" he shouted as he pulled away and turned away in a huff.

"Wait! Wait just a minute! You can't do something like that without at least giving me a chance to respond!" He paused and looked back at her, half-amused and half-furious, as she stomped towards him. She stood in front of him a long moment before sucker punching him. "_That_ is for stealing my little brother!" she stomped on his foot, "_that_ is for being an arrogant bastard!" she grabbed his face and pulled him down for a kiss just as angry as the one he had given her. "And that…" he voice lost its edge, "Is for being wonderful to me." Jareth, after the initial shock wore off, adopted an amused expression.

"Oh…my precious thing," he breathed; he took her hand in his and briefly kissed the knuckles. A slightly confused smile flittered across both of their lips and Jareth pulled away, leaving Sarah blushing in the hall.

* * *

"Idiots," Leah growled, staring into the crystal Jareth had gifted her. Dorian hovered over her shoulder, watching his brother's complicated and dramatic romance unfold. "At least neither of our relationships will be as screwed up as theirs." She turned slightly towards him and reached out, he jumped away and Leah regarded him, puzzled as she picked an apple up from the tray on the table. She suddenly gave a toothy grin and took a bite out of the piece of fruit. "Have I ever done anything to make you think that I'd tackle you in the halls or sneak into your bed at night?" Dorian started, and then slowly shook his head. "Then stop being a sissy." His eyes narrowed at her, his regal pride wounded.

"Wanna say that again b*tch?" he hissed, Leah raised a slightly disheveled brow at him lazily.

"Sih-sey." She bit out.

"Since we're done playing nice with my brother, would you mind if I excused myself? I have to go puke up everything I just ate because of your face." He growled. Leah ignored him and rolled the crystal back and forth across her knuckles.

"Not at all, I can only just walk back to my room on my own," she barked bitterly. During the afternoon, they had talked and laughed, they had become friendly. "It was a mistake, I'm sorry I did it now, drop it!"

"A '_mistake_'? You practically manhandled me!" Leah groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"_Fine_, momentary insanity, that and your girl phobia didn't seem as extreme as you said it was," he scoffed at her.

"That's because you're hardly a woman."

"You want to come over here and say that to my face!?" Leah's temper flared and she gripped the arms of her chair unconsciously. "Or are you a coward, afraid that an invalid will kick your ass?"

"I'm not a coward!" he yelled back and he moved closer to her in defiance. They scowled at one an other for a long moment , before Leah kicked him in the stomach, as hard as her aching body would let her. Dorian fell back and stared up into her defiant eyes in an amazed stupor. "When I'm better I'll kick your ass good and proper, that will just have to do for now."

"Leah-…that-…you- ungh!" Dorian growled back.

"Now, now children, the adult has arrived to settled this thing civilly, what seems to be the problem? Oh, nice acting earlier by the way Leah, really convincing…even I was fooled."

"That's because you're an idiot," Leah shot back, eyes still training their daggers on Dorian.

"B*tch _please_," Jareth hissed, Leah turned towards him with a quizzical look. He smiled after beat, "I'm trying to work on our _friendship_."

"Umm, su-u-ure you are," she suddenly looked nervous. "Hey…um, Jareth…could you take me back to my room, this idiot here," she jerked her thumb in Dorian's direction, "thinks that I'm going to push him down and have my way with him or something."

"Well, he'd be lucky. You're quiet a bit prettier and more pleasant than most of the other girls that have tried that on him."

"Thank you Jareth, even you can be nice sometimes."

"Only after snogging the woman I love, which I'm sure you were watching, _**pet**_!"

"I was concerned, can't blame me for worrying…glad you ended it all on a happy note though," she gave him a thin smile. "Take me back now."

"Why can't Dorian do it?"

"Mainly because I have him a hug this afternoon…oh yes, he was civil, even friendly at dinner. But god forbid he not hold this against me. Now he thinks I want him babies or something."

"You don't?" Jareth asked skeptically.

"Nope, he is yummy and all, but he acts like a child when it comes to women."

"Oh…well then pet, if Sarah and I don't work out, would you like to have mine?" Leah gave him a disgusted look, Jareth smirked charmingly at her.

"You do know I'm right here, don't you?" Dorian spat next to his brother's ear. Jareth reached up and grabbed his face and shoved him away, eyes still on Leah.

"She hasn't answered yet."

"Oh, god no!" Leah pinched the bridge of her nose again. "I'd never consider having your kids, let alone marry you!"

"Hmm…if you had said 'yes' I would have kept you as a mistress on the side, you are very amusing to me pet. But, since you said 'no', all my harem filled dreams have been shattered." He looked crushed and Leah rolled her eyes.

"Think with your head for once trouser snake." Jareth smirked darkly, "NOW, take me to my room."

"No, I think not. Dorian brought you here, he can take you back or you can stay here tonight." With that being said turned and sauntered out of the room. Leah glanced at the still ticked off Dorian and groaned.

"I guess I'm staying here tonight." She sighed and snuggled back into the uncomfortable chair, and shivered as a draft blew through the room. Dorian made a soft reluctant noise and knelt in front of her, much as his brother had earlier that evening. He hesitantly opened his arms like a hug, unsure of what to expect. "Go away, I'll just sleep here."

"Just get into my goddamn arms Leah, and stop whining. It's unbecoming." Leah groaned and the two glared at each other for a minute. Leah sighed and shook her head, she stretched her own arms out, he flinched away and she pulled back.

"See, you can't even let me touch you now, god, I'm not going to do anything to you. Relax." She reached out again, more tentatively than before and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. Dorian shuddered and she sighed in frustration in his ear. He slowly reached down and picked up her legs under the knee. He lifted her and stood wavering a little on his jelly knees. "Drop me again and I'll kill you." She hissed from where her head was buried in his neck. He felt her breath against his neck and stiffened instinctively. "For the love of all that is holy and light, take me back to my room so that I can sleep!" she cried out, agitated, he looked down and saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes.

"Damn," he murmured.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You found my only weakness…I can't stand to see a woman cry," he sighed dramatically. Leah wiped at her eyes and put on a sarcastic smile.

"I thought that _all women_ were your weakness."

"No, women are a fear…but, they can't sway me like tears can," Leah laughed joylessly.

"I'll remember that next time I need you to carry me." He grimaced and began down the hall towards her bedroom. When they reached the door Leah pulled one of her arms from his neck and turned the latch, she gave the door a shove and it opened. As Dorian approached the bed he tripped over something on the floor and sent them tumbling onto the bed. "F*ck! You're heavy!"

"Get your f*cking elbow out of my eye!" the tow rearranged themselves and Dorian found himself nose to nose with a sneering Leah.

"If I don't heal right, I'm blaming you, f*cking drop me, then fall on me, yeah that _really_ helps." Dorian glared back at her. They were silent for a long moment before Leah spoke and broke the tension. "Get out, I need to change, unless you're helping me, I don't want you here."

"Fine," he spat, "I'll help you," he pulled away and helped her sit up. "I'll show you who the better person is here," Leah gave him an odd look.

"I…was just joking about the helping me undress thing. I can manage on my own." Dorian ignored her and grabbed the night gown, which had been left for her, off of the dresser and tossed it on the bed next to her.

"Like you could this afternoon? F*cking asking a goblin to help you get a f*cking shirt on is not being able to do it on your own" Leah growled a few choice words at him and crossed her arms angrily over her chest.

"…Fine," she held her arms over her head, "Can't get this shirt off on my own anyway." Dorian pinked slightly in the room's half darkness, he, the prince of being afraid of women, was actually undressing one. He reached out slowly and tugged the shirt off, bringing a bandaged and mostly flat chest into view. Leah ignored his sudden nervousness and stuck her feet into his lap. He tentatively untied each shoe and pulled it off, swiftly followed by her socks. Leah tugged the night gown on over her head and Dorian pulled it down for her.

"Er…what about your pants?" he asked, nervously licking his lips, Leah shot him a dirty look.

"I think you've gotten to undress me enough, f*cking pervert. I can get my pants off on my own," she growled, Dorian blushed darker under her suspicious gaze, he was suddenly glad that the darkness hid his coloring from her.

"Er…um…goodnight then," he stood and began to make his way blindly out of the room. He tripped over one of her shoes and fell face first into the carpet. He scrambled up, flushing in embarrassment and hurried towards the door. He walked into the wall beside the door and barked out an explicative as he rubbed his nose. HE finally found the door and went out; he paused as he began to shut the door.

"Goodnight," Leah called, watching him, worriedly, in the darkness.

"Um…you too Leah," she chuckled as he closed the door and began cussing loudly at himself as he walked down the hallway.

"That was an interesting show," Leah flipped around and glared at Jareth, who was sprawled in her window seat.

"What do you want Jareth?!?" she snapped.

"You make my brother…uncomfortable, but in a new way. I just find it amusing that he's so touchy with you."

"Why shouldn't he be? We're friends and I don't think he really considers me a woman…or a threat."

"Maybe he should, pet. You've got him wrapped around your little finger, and the funny thing is that neither of you know it."

"What? What are you talking about?" she cried out, but he just smiled and vanished in a puff of glittering smoke. Leah stared a the place he'd vanished from for a long while after, before shrugging and struggling out of her pants. "Maybe Dorian should have helped…naw," she chuckled and snuggled under her warm covers. Sleepiness embraced her as she pondered the king's parting words. Across the hall, Sarah was dreaming of Jareth…as usual. Somewhere else in the castle, Dorian paced, unsure of what had transpired between him and the mysteriously lazy girl his brother called 'pet'. Jareth, himself, lounged in his throne, grinning into a crystal watching his younger brother's frustrations.

"Mortals…are such interesting creatures," he murmured softly to the familiar darkness around him. "Things just never stop changing when they're around," he chuckled briefly and reclined further into his favorite seat. He sighed and let himself drift into thoughts of him muse.

The castle was quiet, and comfortable. The goblin servants felt that something good was coming around the corner…something wonderful and amazing. Doddery and Dotson nodded silently to one another. Yes, only good things could happen.

* * *

AN: I'm so sorry you had to wait so long…I've been busy and just not that motivated to type up this chapter…mostly because of how long it took me to write it. Nevertheless I hope that you enjoyed it. Um, and here's a translation of the beginning lyrics:

Beyond the violence

Beyond the madness

Considering all the madness that won't stop

When you fall asleep next to me

Then I have no doubt

That love still exists

Love still exists

Love still exists.


	5. Bitter Dancers

Bitter Dancing Fools

Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;

If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,

Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,

I must have you!"

-Thomas Parke D'Invillers

_The Great Gatsby _– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Disclaimer: _Labyrinth _is property of A.C.H. Smith, Jim Henson and others; I don't own it or the characters.

* * *

Sarah woke with a contented sigh as the Underworld sun crept through the crack in her drapes and traced a fond line up to her eyes. She stretched until her back gave a muffled click and relaxed. She sat up and began humming a little nonsense song to herself. Things were good…she blushed slightly and touched her lips, remembering the searing kiss she and the Goblin king had shared the night before. Sarah dropped her hand and shook her head, trying to lift the fuzzy feeling fog covering her mind. She stood and grabbed a deep emerald colored robe from off of a hook on her closet door and wrapped the luxurious feeling fabric around herself. She turned, still humming, and yanked her drapes open the rest of the way. The whole of the Labyrinth and Goblin City and all of the lands beyond it sprawled out lazily before her under the buttery morning sun. She let a little contented smile drift onto her normally pouty lips as she watched the world begin to wake up. "…it feels like I've finally come home." She whispered quietly to the sunlight filled room. She closed her eyes and lifted her face into the sun; a feeling of happiness began bubbling from somewhere deep within her.

Sarah's stomach growled loudly and she flinched, her moment of revelry was over now that her body was reminding her of its needs. "Fine, fine, I'll find you something to eat," she patted her belly in agitation as it grumbled again. She sighed and found a pair of slippers, she slide them on and headed for the door. She paused there a beat, wondering if it would be better if she changed clothes first, and then dismissed the feeling. Her internal clock told her that it was around six in the morning and she would probably be the first one to get to the dinning room for breakfast. She knew that Leah would sleep until noon unless she was woken up, and she wouldn't get up without a fight. Sarah decided that Dorian was probably a lot like Leah, so he probably wouldn't be up until about ten or so. Jareth would probably be the only other person awake early. She tapped her lip slightly with the tip of her finger pondering. With an exasperated sigh she exited her room in her robe, quietly closing the door behind her.

When she finally arrived in the dinning room, she found the Goblin King lounging in one of the chairs waiting for her. "Good morning," she greeted him with a little smile. He looked up at her slowly and a mischievous smile spread across his face.

"Good morning light of my heart, sleep well? Pleasant dreams of our last parting?" She smacked him in the back of the head as she walked past him and took the seat across from him.

"It's too early for you to be an ass, so cut the crap."

"You did dream of me, precious. I'm flattered." He sat up and turned towards her slightly.

"You shouldn't be, the only dreams I have of you are nightmares."

"Awe, precious thing, you're denial pains me," he chuckled slightly and clutched his heart, "It wounds me deeply."

"Where? I didn't know that there was human heart beating under your ancient Fae flesh." Jareth dropped his hand and gave her a predatory smile.

"Oh, but there is love…I have the heart of a young human boy beating under this cold unfeeling skin. Oh course, it's not really my heart, but why quibble over technicalities?" Sarah gave him a look of disgust.

"Are you trying to be funny or something? You should save your humor for someone who will actually appreciate it."

"Like the pet? I'm sure she'd at least give it a little chuckle, more than you would anyway."

"Leave her out of this!" she snarled at him, the pleasant feeling she had been feeling earlier vanished as she glared at him. He grinned smugly back at her.

"You may have run the Labyrinth and reclaimed her, but, as long as she's here, she will be _my_ business; despite your protests." Sarah bit her lip as uncertainty filled her. "She will be able to tell you that I am not an unkind master, I'm willing to…compromise, when it benefits me. Taking care of her now…suits my needs." He leaned towards her and licked his lips suggestively. Sarah's retort was cut off as a small line of goblins filed in bearing trays of coffee, scrambled eggs, crispy toast, and strips of sizzling bacon. Sarah's belly growled in anticipation as she eyed the food with obvious interest. Jareth frowned slightly, because she was no longer focused solely on him. His frown shifted into a soft amused smile as he watched her drool over the food the goblins were parading under her nose. He snorted a laugh, and turned away from her, trying to hide his amusement from her when she looked up at him questioningly.

"What?" she asked with a mouth full of toast and egg.

"Nothing, nothing, just enjoy your breakfast precious." She swallowed loudly and kept her eyes locked on him, a thoughtful look passed over her face and a question began to form on her lips.

"Why do you call me that?"

"Call you what?" he turned back towards her and gave her a smile with a hint of snugness in it.

"'Precious thing'," she mumbled as she took a quick sip of her coffee. "I…it's just a term of endearment…"

"…why don't I believe you?"

"Fine," he rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, he'd actually been waiting for her to ask him this exact question. "I call you that, because you are…to me, a precious thing."

"But 'thing'? Why not a precious person? Or a precious…something else?" he sighed.

"Because…precious _thing, _there is no way to just describe you in one word. You are precious to me, like a doll…but you're not my doll, so I can't call you that. You're a person, but I would rather shrink you and keep you in my pocket and carry you around with me, than refer to you such an unspecific manner. To me you are something indescribably precious, something I want to keep close to me at all times, something I never want to part with…that enough description for you?" she snorted slightly and rolled her eyes at him, unimpressed.

"I think that you just called me that on the spur of the moment the first time you saw me, and it stuck."

"Well that too." He grinned sheepishly at her and dug into his own plate of food. Silence reigned over the table as they continued eating.

* * *

Leah woke up to a sharp pain in her ribs. It felt as if her lungs were being crushed and she couldn't breathe, she opened her eyes to a semi-dark room and hissed out as the throbbing intensified. "F*ck…that's one hell of a wake up call," she gritted out. She looked around her room, hoping to see Sarah or Dotson hovering somewhere in the room. "Aw hell," she breathed out when neither one of them was there, she was all alone. A feeling of panic shot through her for a moment as she struggled to push herself into a sitting position.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a male voice called from her doorway, the healer from the day before walked in, eyeing her with a look of distaste. He went to her window and jerked the drapes open, flooding the room with much needed light.

"Jeffery…I didn't expect you so early." She eyed him with a look of distrust; the man had been silent the day before when he had treated her. She hadn't complained, since Dot was in the room, but he had been rather rough with her while he was wrapping her ribs. He was a creature with the appearance of a human, only his skin was a light gray color and his hair was pale blue. His eyes were startling because they were pupil-less and completely black, while not expressionless. For the life of her, Leah could not place his appearance with that of any myth she had learned as a child, without a name for him she was more wary. He turned and locked eyes with her.

"How's the pain?" he asked a moment later.

"It's like my ribs are breaking all over again." He drifted to her side, helped her sit up, and, with her help, removed her nightgown. He unwrapped her bandages and prodded at her ribs.

"The pain just means that they're healing," he murmured after a few minutes of jabbing his cold gray fingers into her sides.

"Well that's a good thing then."

"Yes…it is, it would be best if you didn't stay in the Underground too long."

"Why?" he stared at her as if she was an ignorant child.

"Because you don't belong here," he answered bluntly.

"Sarah's as human as I am, does she not belong here either?"

"No, she won her right to be here, and be treated as foreign royalty, when she beat the Labyrinth. You on the other hand…have not achieved such…prestige." Leah crinkled her nose at him.

"So just because I didn't run the Labyrinth, I'm not worthy of being here?" she asked in a deadpan voice.

"In so many words, yes." He rebound her ribs and fished a vial out of one of his pockets. Leah glared at him, but accepted the vial without any protest. "You'll be able to leave in a week, but his Highness will probably want you to stay for the Halloween Ball, so you will be here a week after you are completely healed." Jeffery stood and began towards the door.

"…Does everyone feel like this?"

"Feel like what?"

"Like I don't belong?" He turned and met her eyes.

"The little goblins will probably accept you, but the older Fae, like myself, and the royalty…they never will. Many are opposed to your being here; they will begin showing it more as the Ball approaches." To his surprise she grinned at this.

"I'm not afraid of them; nothing they can do will make me leave."

"…Pathetic leech," Jeffery hissed as he turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind himself. Leah swore under her breath and squeezed the vial in her hand tightly. She ripped the stopper out of the bottle and downed the contents in one gulp. She felt the pain recede to a dull ache almost instantaneously.

"F*ck it!" she yelled suddenly and hurled the empty vial across the room; it hit the wall and shattered into thousands of tiny satisfying pieces. She threw herself off the bed in one sharp movement and walked to the closet; she opened the door with a bang and began sifting through the clothing looking for something to wear. She'd pulled on new underwear and jeans when a light knock came from the door. "Come in!" she called, in a tone sharper than she meant it to sound. Dorian poked his head in and the first thing that caught his eye was the broken glass on the floor.

"Leah, what the hell is this?" he asked, stepping gingerly over the sharp shards.

"Nothing, I'll clean it up later." He made his way over to her and stood off to one side, fidgeting nervously. Leah pulled out a long sleeved shirt and tugged it on with an unusual fierceness.

"Hey…did something happen?" he asked tentatively. She looked up at him and her sharp expression softened.

"No…just a bad dream."

"About what?" he gave her a small encouraging smile.

"I don't remember…I was looking for something, but I couldn't get to it because it was too far away."

"What were you looking for?"

"That's the funny thing, I know that it was something important, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was." Dorian cocked his head to the side and searched her face with his eyes.

"Did Jeffery say something to you?"

"No, why do you ask?" she answered without hesitation. Dorian's eyes turned to slits for a moment, as if he could sense her lie.

"Because he looked upset when I passed him in the hall, and I know that you were the last person he saw." He leaned a little closer, pressuring her for an honest answer.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it." She gave him a sunny dishonest smile. Dorian faltered a moment before returning the smile and moving away from her again. "By the way, did you want something from me?"

"Uh, yeah actually, the Ball is coming up and I wanted to ask you a favor."

"What?" she relaxed slightly.

"Well…there's this girl that I like," Leah stiffened again, "but I can't approach her as I am now."

"What's her name?"

"Tempesta, she's a siren princess from the North," Leah nodded slightly.

"She must be really beautiful."

"She is…but she's also really nice."

"How am I supposed to help you with this?" she asked skeptically.

"Well, I've never danced with a girl before…and since you don't freak me out like the other girls do, I was wondering if you would dance with me, so that I could get used to it?" he squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of her impending rejection.

"Sure, why not, I don't know how to dance so it will be like killing two birds with one stone. You can teach me and I can help you get over your fear of girls." She smiled at him as he opened his eyes and gave her a look of grateful relief.

"Really?" he asked in an excited voice.

"Yeah, it's not like it's gonna hurt me or anything. And why shouldn't I do you a favor, you are my friend, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I am," he chuckled and scratched the back of his head slightly; "You're my first girl friend." Leah chuckled at him and patted his arm, he flinched briefly.

"Well, wanna get started?"

"Sure, sure, let's go down to the ballroom and practice." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door after him. Leah laughed as they ran down the hall together. Dorian pulled her into the dinning room and suddenly stopped, Leah ran into his back with an 'oof'. She rubbed her forehead with her free hand and then glanced around him at the scene before them. A gorgeous woman with wavy golden locks was curtsying to Jareth. When she lifted her head she locked eyes with Leah and smiled a voluptuous smile. Her large blue eyes were framed with long golden lashes that caught the light and created an illusion of a metallic glow around her eyes. Dorian's grip on her wrist suddenly tightened painfully.

"Dorian let go," she hissed in his ear, his grip tightened further. Leah pulled as hard as she could, but his vice like grip would not loosen.

"Prince Dorian, is that you? It's been ages since we last met." The beautiful woman called in a musical voice.

"Princess Tem-Tempesta, what a surprise to see you here so soon!" Leah continued to struggle within his tight hold.

"F*ck Dorian, let go," Leah implored a little louder.

"Dorian, who is that adorable little girl you've got with you?" Tempesta asked sweetly. Dorian realized that he was still holding Leah's wrist and looked back at her. His eyes met her angry pained ones, and his grip automatically relaxed, but he did not let her go.

"This…this is my friend Leah," he tugged her forward so that the woman could fully see her, and so that he could have someone between himself and the princess.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. You're not a child at all, you're just so small looking next to Dorian that I mistook you for a human youth." Tempesta giggled in a mockingly musical chord.

"I am a human youth," Leah deadpanned, wrenching her arm away from Dorian. He looked down at her startled when she crossed her arms and took a defensive stance.

"Oh…really now," Tempesta raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing here?"

"That's really none of your business, _Princess_," Leah snapped back.

"I didn't know that the…Aboveground was sending representatives to try their hand for the Goblin prince's heart. As far as I can see, you're not exactly royalty either."

"Royalty doesn't really matter Aboveground, so why should I care if I'm royalty or not?" Leah smiled smugly, "'sides, I'm not here for the same reason you are, I'm just Dorian's dance instructor." Tempesta winced at Leah's nonchalance. Dorian reached out and tugged on the back of Leah's shirt, she glanced back at him and he made a motion towards a door to their left. Leah frowned and gave him a 'not-until-I'm-done look', and turned back towards the siren princess with a challenging smile.

"Well, I can't argue with that. You humans have always lacked a certain amount of…class."

"Hey, King Tightpants, are you just going to take that sitting down? She's insulting the future Goblin Queen you know." Jareth raised a glittering eyebrow and turned a slightly displeased look in Tempesta's direction.

"That's true; it has been well known that Sarah Williams _is_ my choice to be queen. When she comes around to the idea, which _will_ happen, a _mere_ mortal will rule at my right hand." Tempesta flinched when Sarah, swathed in all her green robed glory slammed her hands down on the dinning table and stood.

"I haven't agreed to anything, buster! And if I continue thinking straightly, God so help me if I don't, I won't end up engaged to you!"

"Buster?" he questioned, "…I don't really like that pet name. How 'bout you try something like 'sweety' or 'love of my life'?"

"Go to hell!" While Jareth and Sarah threw themselves into another verbal spar, Leah and Dorian made a quick exit from the room leaving Tempesta rooted to the spot in absolute horror. As they entered the ballroom Dorian grabbed Leah's elbow and swung her around to face him.

"Leah, what the hell was that back there?" he asked, holding onto her tightly.

"…I don't take well to being looked at like a burnt crumb at the bottom of the proverbial toaster of life."

"What the f*ck does that even mean!?!"

"Basically, I don't like snobby little rich brats looking down their noses at me," she snarled at him.

"What? She didn't look at you like that!"

"She _did_!" Leah cried, hitting him lightly in the chest. "I know that look! I see it all the time!"

"Leah…" he sighed, "I…want to…pet, you're a special person…and no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

"Eleanor Roosevelt said that," she smiled a little sadly.

"And she's right Pidgin, if you don't let people get to you then you'll never feel like you're not good enough."

"Pidgin? Hell I can take 'pet' or 'sweetheart' or whatever, but 'Pidgin'? That's f*cking insulting."

"Ha-ha, it's not an insult. You're a pretty bird, with your own quirky personality! And hey, someone has to define what kind of pet you are." Leah shoved him away from herself and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know what, Prince Jell-o Legs…you're a dead man!" she took a playful swing at him and hit nothing but air as he danced around her. "Come back here you lily-livered woman-fearer!" Dorian threw his head back and laughed as the little woman chased him about the ballroom. She was neither too slow nor too quick; her movements as average as in her looks. He teased her and dodged her wild swings, until the ballroom doors opened and Tempesta glided in with a sullen look on her face. He stopped and went rigid, Leah ran into him again and the two toppled over in an amusing pile of entwined limbs. "F*ck, how do we always end up like this?" Leah asked no one in particular, "A little help here, your highness," she looked up at the other woman and blew a few strands of hair out of her face. Tempesta gave her an odd half smile and moved to her side, she gave Leah her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"So…you and the prince are friends?" she asked as Dorian scurried around behind Leah's back and peeked out at Tempesta over her head.

"Something like that, though I'm not here by choice…" Leah answered, somewhat suspicious of the taller woman's intentions.

"I'm glad," the princess turned and walked away, sadness…and relief in her baby blue eyes. Leah saw the two emotions and told Dorian to stay there a minute, before going after her.

"Princess," she called and Tempesta stopped. "…I…I don't know how to ask you this but, what are your intentions towards the prince?" She blurted out. The siren was silent for a long moment.

"…I mean to win his heart, marry him, bear his children, and spend the rest of my days with him," she replied in a deadpan voice.

"…I understand, and…I wish you well," she gave the woman a brief smile before turning and going back into the ballroom. Dorian puzzled over her thoughtful look as she approached him.

"What happened?"

"I…I'm not really sure, but I think that I like her…" she smiled at this and gave him a thumbs-up, "You two would look great together." Dorian stared at the human gesture and then smiled in return. "So…about that dancing stuff…"

"Oh…right, we should do that then," he waved his hand slightly and the air was abruptly filled with a lilting melody. "We should start simple, so, let's try the basic waltz." Leah cringed but allowed him to tug her in and begin instructing her in low tones. "Yes…that's right, Leah, I don't know why you said you couldn't dance. You're picking it up so quickly." He suddenly twirled her around and bent her back in a dramatic pose, their noses touched before he realized how close they really were. "Whoa!" he jerked back and would have dropped her if she hadn't had a death grip on his arm.

"Dorian," she hissed out as she glared up at him. Her sharp look dropped when she saw the sheen of sweat on his face. "Pull me up," she instructed, after he had done so she took a few steps away from him. "Let's go for a walk, I think that we've danced enough for the day." He nodded and followed her out of the ballroom. She paused slight once they were in the hall and waited for him to take the lead; he hesitated slightly before he quickly passed her. Leah sighed and shook her head. "Dorr, if it's too hard for you, don't push yourself so much." He stiffened slightly and glanced back at her, Leah noticed a light blush on his face.

"It's…embarrassing, t-this fear is." He looked straight ahead as he walked.

"Well, I'm not judging you any, so you shouldn't be afraid of what I think."

"But…I'm afraid of you, the only reason I didn't drop you and flee from that room was because you held on." He ran his fingers through his hair in agitation. "You're my friend, and I was willing to abandon you because of…"

"Our little, almost, Eskimo kiss?"

"WHAT!?! WE NEVER KISSED!" Leah rolled her eyes as he spun around and looked at her in abject horror.

"…an Eskimo kiss is when you touch the tip of your nose to someone else's nose, it's not a real kiss. Stop freaking out." He visibly unwound and gave her a shaky smile. "Now, about that walk…" Dorian turned without a word and continued to lead them outside; Leah chuckled at his cherry red ears and neck behind her hand. She shook her head again. "Men," she muttered under her breath.

"F*ck you, Pidgin," Dorian barked back at her.

* * *

AN: Sorry this one took so long…I've been busy, work/school/laziness have impeded my work. Oh, btw I haven't forgotten about Toby, I love the little guy. You're just going to have to wait a little while. :}

-Wanda


	6. What's in the Past

What's in the Past

"Its the way that he makes you feel  
its the way that he kisses you  
its the way that he makes you fall in love

She's beautiful as usual  
with bruises on her ego and  
her killer instinct tells her to  
be aware of evil men"

-"Pretty Girl" by Sugarcult

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Labyrinth_ or its characters, those belong to Jim Henson.

* * *

Leah and Dorian had walked about the outside of the castle, in silence, for over a half an hour, when Jareth appeared on one of the garden benches as they passed. Leah stopped and laughed at him, "What happened?" she asked, pointing at the bright red handprint he sported on his left cheek. His frown deepened at her laughter. "Get a little too fresh with Sarah?" Leah raised her eyebrows comically at him, his frown softened and turned into a pout at her attempt to cheer him up. "Awe, don't be like that," she said, sitting down beside him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "Tell your pet, Pidgin, what happened." She plopped her head onto his shoulder and used her freehand to poke him in the cheek. He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a few moments, while she continued to prod his face. He sighed and put an affectionate arm around her, effectively pinning her free arm and stopping the assault on his already injured cheek.

"Well…Pidgin was it?" she half nodded and he continued, "I may have stepped over the line a wee little bit with your cute friend-y." he noticed her raised eyebrow and purposefully patted her head. "In summery, I followed her to her room after we argued at breakfast…and walked in while she was getting undressed for a bath." He smirked as Leah struggled to get out of his now headlock like embrace. He paused a beat and then began to give her a rough noogie.

"Noooooooooo, stop, stop, stop it!" Leah yowled, struggling more against his confining hold. Dorian looked on in puzzlement at the gesture, having not spent as much time in the Aboveground as his older brother. He continued to watch the two tussling when Sarah appeared at his elbow, startling him.

"What the hell are they doing?" she hissed, still angry with Jareth. Dorian moved a few steps away from her nervously.

"I-I don't know," he murmured, blushing and looking at his boots with a rapt interest. Jareth and Leah had stopped fighting and were eyeing each other with looks of annoyance. Sarah glanced at Dorian's defensive stance with an eye roll, before she walked over to Leah and wrapped her arms around her from behind. Leah stiffened slightly before Sarah dropped her chin onto her head and a curtain of dark hair fell onto her shoulders.

"It's okay Leah; you don't have to like this big bad meanie in _very_ tight, tights. He's just a sexually repressed, pre-pubescent _boy_ who thinks that he can get a girl to like him by setting her hair on fire." She stroked the top of Leah's head fondly.

"Hn, are you sure you're not falling for me, precious?" Jareth asked, eyeing her as if she were some tasty morsel.

"Not in the least," she replied sharply.

"At least not yet," Leah interjected. The others looked at her in confusion, and in Sarah's case, in irritation. "Right now, it would just be a rebound affair. Or had you forgotten so suddenly why we are here?" she asked, looking up at her friend. Sarah's lip quivered slightly and large tears began to form in her emerald eyes.

"Um…what's going on?" Jareth asked, completely confused. Sarah released Leah's head and took a seat next to her, dropping her head onto her shoulder and tucking a hand into one of Leah's.

"You really haven't been watching Sarah since she left?"

"No, why would anyone suspect me of something like that?" Jareth asked in confusion.

"Ha ha, never mind. But to answer your question, Sarah and her fiancé had a…a falling out before she sent me here."

"Really?" the Goblin king's expression was a little too happy for the news he had just received. "I never thought that any man would reject her."

"I wasn't rejected!" Sarah angrily interjected, hand tightening around Leah's.

"It's more like…Matt had a few harem dreams of his own, and knew enough women to make it a reality."

"Damn him and his exasperating beauty!" Sarah cried half sarcastically, she released Leah's hand long enough to shake an angry fist at the heavens. Leah pulled Sarah's head back down against her shoulder and patted her hair fondly.

"Hey Sarah…Am I forgetting something? Did I leave the stove on at home?" she asked quietly and Sarah lifted a brow.

"No, why are you asking?"

"I…I just feel kind of unsettled, like…well something's missing or something like that."

"Naw, hun, you didn't have any plans besides my wedding…" A tiny tear crept down her pale cheek, "My…wedding," Leah turned her head towards her friend and was surprised to find the tears flowing freely down her face.

"Oh no Sarah, its okay, don't cry," she moved a hand to gently rub her brunette friend's back in comforting circles. "Matt isn't worth your tears sweetie, he was a womanizing, bull sh*t filled son of a b*tch. I've been trying to tell you that ever since you guys got engaged, but every time you heard he was cheating on you…you dismissed it as a malicious rumor."

"I couldn't-couldn't help it if people like Joy were jealous of our happiness," Sarah choked out between hiccups, "I…I thought that he loved me." Leah sighed and leaned her head against her friend's.

"Who knows Sarah, who knows…Matt and I never did see eye to eye."

"I always thought that you didn't like him because you were being an over protective friend or that you wanted a boyfriend as cute as he was!"

"Sarah…I never liked Matt," Leah deadpanned, "because I can sense a snake better than you can. And he was the biggest trouser snake you and I have ever come into contact with." She got up and began walking back into the castle, shoulders slumped, hurt by Sarah's accusation.

"You could have at least been a friend and told me that he was cheating on me!" Sarah screamed after her, jumping to her feet in a fit of anger. Leah stiffened and paused in the doorway; she turned around slowly, and sent Sarah a look filled with daggers.

"I did, but you were just so dumb struck and love blind that you never listened. It's not my fault your fiancé turned out to be a douche bag, Sarah. You can't always blame me when things go wrong!" she spun on her heel and dashed through the door. Jareth stood up silently and placed a hand firmly on Sarah's shoulder.

"I'm going to go check on her, Dorian…stay here with Sarah until she calms down enough to apologize to the pet." With that being said he squeezed Sarah's shoulder and swiftly walked off after Leah. Dorian stood uncertainly by the bench, fiddling with his thumbs; he glanced up at Sarah's stiff defensive posture. He watched as she deflated and dropped back onto her spot on the bench. There was a long moment of silence before Sarah finally spoke up.

"Come over here and sit next to me, I'm not gonna attack you, I promise," she turned around and raised her right hand, "Scouts' honor." A tight smile graced her lips, Dorian watched her for a moment before sidling along the back of the bench and taking a seat on the far edge from her. Sarah sighed and leaned back in her seat, she stared up at the puffy white clouds in the Underworld sky.

"That one looks like a fairy," Dorian said after an extended period of silence, he pointed up at the cloud in question, Sarah's eyes followed where he pointed and she laughed quietly.

"You learn that from Leah?"

"Hmm?" he looked over at her quizzically.

"Cloud gazing…its one of her biggest ice breakers, she uses it when she's nervous or when she wants to cheer someone up."

"Does it work on you?" She giggled softly and nodded.

"Every time."

* * *

Leah paced the floor of the ballroom she and Dorian had occupied not so long ago, she murmured a string of curses to herself, and occasionally a curse word would explode from her mouth at a volume far louder than the others. Jareth hovered in the door frame and watched her display of unsuppressed rage; she looked up from the floor and spotted him. Her shoulders sank slightly and she reached up and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Uh…hey, how long have you been standing there?" Leah asked.

"Since "dumb b*tchin' whore who wouldn't know who was on her f*cking side even if she was f*cking wearing a f*cking jersey", or something to that effect." Leah winced slightly.

"So you've been there for awhile," she sighed and plopped down onto the floor, she gestured for him to come closer.

"Why…are you two fighting like that? Like you hate each other?" he asked walking towards her while conjuring a chair, which he promptly dropped into when he came close enough to her.

"We always fight like that; we've always fought over the smallest or stupidest reasons. Half the time it's because one of us has messed up big time and we're disinclined to forgive each other because of it." Jareth gave her a slightly confused look. "An example of something she hasn't forgiven me for, even though it was years ago, was that I broke into her house once."

"You broke into her house?"

"Yeah, it's kind of a long story."

"We have time; enlighten me about your sordid past."

"It's nothing that bad," she rolled her eyes, "Do you really want to listen to the whole thing? It's pretty long."

"As I said, we have time." Leah made a face before quickly running her hands through her hair several times to alleviate some of her tensions.

"Fine…I guess to explain Sarah and my connection I need to explain my own background a little bit. I think that I mentioned that my step father is an abusive fat b*stard," Jareth gave her a look as if he wanted to know more, "Like he smacked me around, if I gave him lip he'd give me a black eye, if I didn't follow curfew I'd be his personal ashtray." She pulled up a sleeve and slowed him the several faded circular burn marks on the underside of her forearm. "Surprisingly he got better over time, we came to an agreement that he'd leave me the f*ck alone and I'd stay out of his hair the best I could."

"How'd the two of you come to that sort of agreement?"

"I kinda made friends with the local police force; they were so used to seeing me that it became usual for them to show up at our tiny apartment every so often. That, and I was almost always in trouble with them. You see, I went through this really weird faze where I just wanted to steal sh*t, I wanted to be a criminal or something like that."

"You seem to have turned out well enough," Jareth muttered skeptically.

"Well I guess I kinda have Sarah to thank for the moral straightening out. As I said my step dad got better, so the only way he could deal with me was to get me help. He left me in group therapy at the local family center. I ditched the first few times half way through until Sarah showed up. The moment she started to talk about this place," she made a sweeping gesture with one of her hands, "I felt compelled to stay and at least listen to her and the other kids there. I never thought she was crazy, and she accepted that I wasn't trying to make fun of her by believing her. Of course during this time I still continued my wave of crime on the city through shop lifting, minor burglaries, and one grand theft auto…given it was my own car I was hot wiring, I don't really count that one as a crime."

"What about the time you broke into Sarah's house?" Jareth asked a look of intense interest on his face.

"That was a…painful incident," Leah cringed slightly, "We'd known each other a few years, but I hadn't told her about my life of crime, so one day I'd forgotten something at her house and figured that since she was busy that day I could just go and get it myself. Which included my breaking into her house…which was a really stupid idea; because the moment I walked into her room to get the thing I'd left she turned around and kicked my ass. Apparently that same day someone, probably one of the cops we both knew, told her about what I'd been doing. My breaking into her house was the last straw in a series of arguments, so she beat the pie out of me and cured me of my need to break and enter." Leah smiled slightly; Jareth chuckled softly under his breath.

"Er, then why did you guys have a giant fight over nothing just now?"

"Uh…I guess you can call that female rivalry, happens a lot between us."

"Female rivalry, what do you mean by that?" he cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked down at her. Leah leaned back on her hands and thought for a moment.

"Well it means that I'd like a guy and he'd start getting interested in me, then I'd introduce him to Sarah and he'd instantly fall for her. She'd eventually go out with him, despite knowing that I still hadn't gotten over being snubbed by him yet. It almost always happens, the two of us being compared and I'm the one that was found lacking compared to Sarah."

"Well Pet…I guess that kind of makes sense. Sarah is physically more beautiful than you are. But Leah, you have a beautiful honesty about you, and did I mention your smile, it's like a ray of sunshine. You're beautiful too, but it's just a quieter beauty than Sarah is. Pet, you are more than enough woman for any man." Leah laughed at this.

"I didn't need you to reassure me or anything King Tightpants, I'm fine with the way I look, I just have problems with getting close to guys because the moment they meet Sarah they ditch me."

"Aw Pet, I'd never 'ditch' you," Jareth joked.

"Ha, you'd better not, or I'll get Sarah to kick your ass too…Speaking of Sarah's violent tendencies, how's your face?" Leah moved to her knees to get a better look, she smoothed his hair out of his face and gave his cheek a quick once over.

"Well, how bad is it, doc?"

"Well, if the swelling ever goes down, I think that you'll live," her laughing smile turned to a pout.

"What is it Pet?" Jareth laughed out at her comical expression.

"How is it that your hair is so soft? I'm a girl and most people find that my hair is naturally soft, but your hair is like…the finest spun silk!" Jareth decided to ignore the slight hint of sarcasm in her voice and answer her honestly.

"Why, it's what I put on it," Leah glanced at his face, distracted from her messing with his blonde locks.

"And what would that be?"

"The tears of orphans and ground pixies," he gave her a toothy vivacious smile.

"AH, liar!" she cried, smacking his chest with the palm of her hand, he laughed and caught her wrist. They continued to tussle for a minute when Dorian walked in; from where he was standing the two's playful wrestling looked more intimate than it really was. A look of surprise then envy twisted across his face for a fleeting moment.

"Are you guys already f*ck buddies then?" he asked in a loud voice. Leah stiffened at the insult with a stricken look on her face, as if Dorian had slapped her. Jareth turned slowly and trained a killing look on his younger brother.

"Just because you have no sex life doesn't mean that you can make assumptions about someone else's relationships. And as you _know_," he hissed, "I haven't had **that **kind of relationship because I've spent the last few years _pining_ for Ms. Sarah Williams." Leah's once smiling face had fallen considerably since Dorian had first spoken.

"You…really think that lowly of me…and you've only just met me?" she whispered out, she raised her tear filled eyes to meet his. He'd hurt her, not just by what he had said, but how he had said it…as if she was a disgusting creature that he was looking down his nose at. Dorian paled as he looked into Leah's eyes, the pure look of broken trust, of hurt that he found there frightened, no, moved him more than any tear she could have shed.

"I…I-I…I," he babbled in an increasingly higher pitch, "SORRY!" he finally cried out. He turned and nearly ran into Sarah as she rounded the corner, drawn by the sound of their voices. She stood rigidly for a moment before entering the room to find Jareth looking at the doorway with distaste and Leah crying.

"Leah…Are you okay sweetie?" Sarah asked, hesitantly moving into the room.

"No…not really," Leah blubbered, "It's just been *hiccup* a lon-long emotional day. Up, down, up, down," she made the motion with her hand, "Whoosh, splat, crash, burn," she hit the floor with her fist.

"Crap…Leah I'm sorry about what I said earlier…I love you, you know?" Sarah knelt down by her friend's side and pulled her into a loose hug.

"Platonically," Leah laughed out slightly.

"Yup, platonically. Don't want his Highness here getting any weird lesbian fantasies about us." She raised an eyebrow at Jareth's still turned back. He turned slowly towards them with a Cheshire smile.

"Now that you mention it…no, I am far too much of a gentleman to imagine such a thing about my favorite person and lover." He grinned when Sarah's nose wrinkled slightly at his words. "Upset that you're not my favorite person, precious?" Leah smiled at this and Sarah scrunched her face into a comical look of dislike.

"No, you put her first. Wouldn't you're lover come before you're favorite person? If I were you're lover I'd be pissed at you for that!"

"Sarah, you aren't fooling anyone, you are pissed that he didn't put you first. You like him, you wanna kiss him, you wanna jump his trouser, oh excuse me, extremely tight trouser clad body." Leah said in a sing-song voice sniffling slightly. While Sarah imitated the color of a beet, Jareth moved off of his chair and scooped Leah up off the floor and out of Sarah's arms.

"Well Pet, you've had a long day. While the day isn't yet half way through, I think that it is time for you to have a nap and something to eat. We'll deal with Dorian when you wake up. Right now you need to sleep, the medicine you were given is probably fully kicking in now. The…stress of the day might have something to do with that," Leah nodded slightly, suddenly aware of the dull ache in her ribs. Sarah stood and followed them to Leah's room. She found herself in awe of the gentleness the Goblin King was showing her injured friend. When she had first traveled through the labyrinth all she had seen was his cruelty and his nasty temper. But now…he was…nice. She found herself laughing out loud at the thought. Jareth was anything but "nice".

"What nasty name are you calling me in your head this time, precious?" Jareth asked as he closed Leah's door behind himself. By the look on Sarah's face the name was anything but good.

"Oh, I was just thinking that you, Jareth, Goblin King, aren't what I thought you were?" He lifted one bedazzled eyebrow in her direction.

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"Well, to list a few of the things I already know about you: you're smarmy, you're perverted, you're jealous, arrogant, cruel, beautiful, childish, persnickety, violently tempered, and narcissistic."

"Nothing I haven't heard before," he frowned slightly.

"But Jareth," she took a step closer to him, "the new one that I just realized, the one that has me seeing you in a new light, it's just so surprising."

"Hmm?" he leaned in closer to her, intoxicated by the heat he could feel radiating off of her.

"You, Jareth, King Tightpants, Lord of the Hair-trigger Bogging, you are something I'd never thought I would say."

"What?" he asked in a distracted voice.

"You're nice," she said simply with a shrug. Jareth took a moment to digest the four letter word.

"Wh-what?" he questioned lamely, jaw slightly slack, "Repeat that."

"You're nice," she giggled slightly at his dumbfounded expression.

"Wait, hold on a second," he quickly puffed himself back up and put on an egotistical sneer, "I am nothing of the sort! I a King, _THE_ Goblin King, I am not _nice_!" he spat the word out in disgust. Sarah merely smiled cheerfully at him.

"You're not going to fool me with the pompous jackass routine any more, you're just a big softy on the inside," she stepped in, entirely too close to the Goblin King for his own comfort, "Aren't you, Jar-eth?" she let his name roll off of her tongue in a fond manner. He gulped loudly, anger forgotten for the moment because of Sarah's willing proximity.

"Er…um, well…tha-that's not true!" he sputtered out, the rare blush that she had seen as they danced on his Fae features once again. Sarah let a predatory smile grace her beautiful features as she leaned all the closer to the clearly shaken Jareth.

"Of course it is, I see it now, you were kind before too. To my little brother, you were nice to him while he was your prisoner. You never harmed him while I was wandering aimlessly looking for him. Plus you could have made the labyrinth run more dangerous, mortally dangerous, and you didn't. See Jareth, you are a nice man." Her hot breath brushed against his chin at every word, pushing him closer and closer towards a panic filled fall. Suddenly he pushed past her and took a couple of quick steps away from her only to turn back with a look of steely resolve. Sarah went to question him when he sputtered out a phrase she never thought she would here him say seriously.

"YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!" that said he poofed away in a flash of glitter. Sarah stood motionless for a long moment before she doubled over in the middle of the hallway laughing hysterically.

* * *

He ran and ran and ran. Leah's sad face played itself before his eyes like the hallucinated knife from Macbeth. Dorian ran into something soft and yielding and found himself on his back staring up at the ceiling. "I didn't know there was a picture up there," he thought aloud about said ceiling.

"Me neither," a familiar feminine voice replied in a slightly breathless voice.

"Tem-Tempesta?" Dorian squeaked out as he sat up in one fluid motion.

"Your Highness, do excuse me if I don't curtsey…I seem to have found myself on the ground." Dorian scrambled up and to her side.

"I'm so sorry; I should have been watching where I was going! Here let me help you up!" He reached down and she took his hand, both let out a momentary shiver before Dorian hauled her to her feet. He released her quickly and folded his hands behind his back awkwardly. Tempesta took a moment to dust her gown off slightly before looking up at him again. She had to admit he was a beautiful Fae, not as beautiful as his older brother…but still. "Are you hurt? Do you need anything?"

"No, your highness, I don't need anything, I was just…looking for some fresh air," she noted the slight quiver in Dorian's knees.

"I could use some air too, would you like me to show you the way to the gardens?" Tempesta thought it over for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Um, they're this way. Please follow me." Tempesta followed at a 'safe' distance of about four feet behind the gynephobic* prince. Dorian walked quickly and tried to ignore the feeling of Tempesta's eyes on his back. As they rounded the final corner he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He leaned against the cool stones of the outside of the castle as the golden haired princess joined him in the cooling afternoon air.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked after a moment. He turned his pale silver eyes on her, a surprised look on his face.

"I er…I had a bit of a…disagreement with Leah earlier. I was trying to think of a way to make it right between us again."

"You like her a lot, don't you your highness?" she gave him a slight smile.

"I…yeah, I guess I do, she is, well she's safe," he laughed a tiny laugh, "I like her because I don't want to run away from her when I see her."

"I only met her briefly and I like her, she gives off that trustworthy feel that we Fae just don't."

"Mmm, something like that," he thought about how much fun he had had with her the day before.

"You…aren't running away from me right now either, Dorian," she said with a sultry smile that didn't quite reach her baby blues. He stiffened and gave her a wary look.

"I respect you as another noble Fae, running from you could put some strain between our two kingdoms. Plus I never put you as someone who would try that type of underhanded method to trap me into marrying you."

"You never know what a woman would be desperate enough to try to get to marry you." Dorian winced but didn't respond to her words. "Well if you will excuse me Prince Dorian, I believe that I have some unpacking to attend to in the Scarlett Room. Good day."

"Uh, of course, goodbye Princess Tempesta," both sunk into the expected bows and Tempesta moved away from him in the direction of her rooms. Dorian stood there for a long moment pondering her words when the sound of voices caught his ear. He moved towards them, away from Tempesta's retreating back, curiosity peaked. The scene he came upon was endearing. Leah, having woken from her nap, was sitting out in the garden with Dotson and Doddery having a tea party. Her eyes were still a slight pink from all of the emotional outbursts of the day, but she smiled warmly for the two smaller creatures.

"Dot, Doddery, thank you for bringing me out here," the two gave her a knowing look.

"We like you Ms. Leah, and the whole castle has been talking about your day…we feel sorry that it go like that," Dot mumbled out.

"But a tea party you guys? You could have just brought me a cookie and I would have felt better, you didn't have to go to all of this trouble."

"It was Doddery's idea, he always want to have one," Dot snorted slightly out of his piggy nose. Doddery gave Leah a bashful look.

"I like you Ms. Leah; I want you to be happy. Here, have tea." Doddery murmured, pouring the hot liquid carefully into a flower covered cup. She accepted it with a tiny nod of thanks.

"I like you guys too; you're both so sweet to me." Dotson hesitantly reached out and patted her shoulder; Leah gave him a grateful smile. Dorian felt something in his stomach tighten unpleasantly as he watched Leah and his servants interact happily together.

"What you're feeling is jealousy little brother," Jareth's voice whispered into his ear from behind.

"It's not," he hissed back, his eyes never leaving the scene before him.

"Anyone can see that it is just by looking at you. You want her for yourself, don't you?"

"Jareth," he growled in warning, "It's not like that."

"Then what is it like?"

"I…don't even know what to say to her. What do I say to make her forgive me?"

"It's simple; you walk over there and humbly present yourself to her. Flash some pearly whites, beg for her forgiveness, and then sit down and degrade yourself by drinking tea from a dainty pink tea cup."

"Is there an easier way?"

"Little brother, that is the easy way," Dorian cringed as he heard the smirk in his brother's voice.

"Fine, I'll do it your way."

"Good, now wipe that look of yearning off of your face and get out there," Jareth shoved him from behind and into the view of the picnicking threesome. Dot and Doddery jumped up from their seated position on the blanket and bowed to their master.

"…Uh, hi there," Dorian managed to stutter out, Leah's smile dimmed slowly into a tiny hopeful upturn of her lips. "Leah, I want to say that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say…what I said, can you forgive me?" he fidgeted under her gaze.

"I have one condition," she answered, a serious look on her face.

"What? I'll do anything if you'll forgive me!" Leah looked slightly confused by the desperation in his tone.

"Well, Dodders here brought his violin with him to our little party," she stood and advanced on him, an unreadable look in her hazel eyes. "So," she stood uncomfortably close to him, "Dance with me?" she held out a hand to him.

"O-okay," he took her hand and allowed her to pull him in a little closer. While they were talking Doddery had picked up his violin had begun playing a gentle tune. Dorian slowly pulled her closer to himself feeling as if he needed to meld together with her. He felt Leah's lips turn into a smile against his neck.

"You are forgiven," she whispered as they swayed to the music.

"Thank you," he whispered back and buried his face into hair. They danced until they heard their stomachs rumbling in unison. Leah laughed and pulled away from him, Dorian was more reluctant to release her and kept his hands firmly on her hips. "So, we're friend again?"

"Dorr, we never stopped being friends," she grinned and wrapped her hands around his wrists. "Come on, sit, have a cup of tea with us."

"Okay," his stomach rumbled loudly, "God I'm starving, you'd better have something a little more filling than finger sandwiches." He let her go and the two of them made their way back to the blanket, Dorian paused for a second before he took a seat next to Leah.

"Aren't you too close for comfort?" Leah asked, confused.

"Why? Are you uncomfortable?" he asked, moving over slightly so that they were hip to hip.

"Nope, the opposite actually," she smiled and offered him the cucumber slice she was holding. He surprised her when he took it out of her fingers with his mouth.

"Same here," he said after swallowing. Leah gave him an odd look but said nothing. They sat and chatted with Leah's goblin friends until Sarah came wandering towards them.

"I see that you've made up," she said with a happy smile.

"We did, what's up Sarah?" Leah asked, keenly aware of Dorian going completely rigid at her side and moving so that he was slightly behind her.

"Jareth sent me out to tell you two that dinner would be ready soon. Although now that I think about it, it would have been faster for him to poof out here himself." She scratched her head and shrugged at her revelation.

"Okay, we'll be right in, sugar."

"Mmm you must be in a good mood if you're using cute nicknames again," Sarah locked eyes with Dorian with a knowing smile.

"That's true, tell Jareth we'll be right in," Leah waved as Sarah turned and walked back into the castle. She and Dorian slowly got up and helped the two little goblins clean up their picnic.

"Ms. Leah, Master Dorian, let Dot and Doddery clean up, you go in and clean up for dinner," Leah sent Doddery a thankful look at his suggestion.

"Thank you Dodders, thank you Dot, we'll see you later then okay?"

"Bye, bye," the little goblins said together as Dorian and Leah left. The two walked side by side, hands brushing occasionally until Dorian did something that startled Leah. He took her hand.

"Is…is this okay?" he asked shyly, "Friends hold hands right?"

"Yeah…it's okay, sometimes friends do hold hands," she gave him a slow smile that engulfed her face right up to her eyes.

"Good," he tore his eyes away from hers and stared off to the left so that she could not see his own face covering smile. Or his bright happy blush.

* * *

The rest of the night went quickly and without any more awkward happenings. While Jareth escorted Sarah to her room for the evening, Leah and Dorian found themselves alone in the dinning room for the second night in a row.

"Dorr?" Leah asked after their conversation faded to silence.

"Yeah, Pidgin?" he sat back slightly in his seat across from her.

"I…I just wanted to say that I'm glad I'm here."

"I'm glad you're here too kiddo. Say you'll never leave?" he asked jokingly.

"We'll see," she thought for a moment before standing, "Dorr, would you want me to be here forever?" she asked, her voice lacking the playful quality his had.

"I…I don't know. I like you Leah, I'd like to keep you around…but the choice is completely yours." He shrugged slightly to hide how uncomfortable the question made him.

"Mmm, it would be nice," she looked over at him, "I think, to be here with you forever. Because forever isn't really that long at all, right?" he smiled at her and got out of his chair.

"Forever is never long enough," he whispered back.

"Escort me to my room?" she asked in a lighter voice.

"But of course my lady, I could hardly allow you to wander these halls on your own. You could by attack or lose your way or, god forbid, wander into some other Fae's bed chambers."

"And why would that last one be so terrible?" she asked, taking his proffered arm.

"Then I'd have to share you," he said with a laugh.

"I guess I can live with you being a little selfish," she joked.

"I wish I could be more selfish," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she asked, unsure what he had said.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud; don't mind me," he hoped his answer placated her.

"Mmm 'kay then," she hummed out, her own thoughts elsewhere as they walked towards her room. As they came around the last corner they came face to face with Sarah and Jareth kissing feverishly. Leah felt her blood rush straight to her face and Dorian felt all of his blood rush out of his. He pulled Leah so that they were back around the corner out of sight. "Well crap," Leah murmured, startled by what she had seen.

"I…what…ew," Dorian whispered into the side of her head. Leah leaned around the corner and saw her friend and the king disentangle from one another.

"Goodnight," Sarah whispered breathlessly, leaning back against her door unsure of her own legs.

"Sweetest dreams, love," Jareth whispered back, planting his customary parting kiss on the back of her knuckles. He waited until she disappeared through her door before he vanished. Leah tugged Dorian out from around the corner after herself awkwardly.

"Well…I think that we should part ways here, goodnight Dorr," Leah said, patting his arm. Dorian felt some of the color come back to his face and he focused his attention on Leah's slightly smiling face.

"Uh…Leah, can I come in for a moment?" he asked, unsure where the question had come from.

"Uh, sure I guess," she let go of his sleeve, which she had been holding onto when she pulled him around the corner. The two entered her room quietly and she looked up at him questioningly, "Did you need something?"

"Ye-yeah, I mean no, I wanted to know if you needed any help like you did last night. So…do you?" he asked. Leah cocked her head at the question, and suppressed a knowing smirk.

"You mean, do I need help undressing myself?" she let a little of the smirk show when he nodded awkwardly. "No, but thank you for the offer," she giggled as he shifted from one foot to the other self-consciously. "Now, do you need something before we say 'farewell'?" Dorian froze for a moment then he nodded. "What?" Dorian hesitantly reached up and pulled her into a close hug.

"Goodnight," he murmured, his voice muffled by her hair. Leah slowly let her own arms wrap around him as well.

"Goodnight," she whispered back unaware of Dorian inhaling her scent in a less than platonic manner. He suddenly, pulled away from her and stared at her questioning face, searching it. His own face twisted into a look of horror at what he had just been doing. "Dorr? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"No-nothing," he squashed down the panic he was feeling, "I just dunno…er, do you want to meet again tomorrow to continue our dancing practice?"

"Yeah," she said with a giant smile, "That sounds nice, how about after breakfast this time?" he smiled at her oblivious innocence.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you," she answered back as he turned and left. Leah stood for a long moment at the closed door before she felt the eyes on her, "Jareth?"

"Yes, Leah," he purred in response.

"Get outta my room."

"Goodnight pet," Leah turned towards her bed and found that he had vanished. She walked to her bed and fell down across it, exhaustion consuming her and sleep coming before she had the chance to even feel it creeping up on her.

* * *

AN: Sorry to keep you all waiting, this has taken me a long time to write. I promise you that I haven't forgotten Toby, he'll probably show up in the either the next chapter or the one after it. I hope that this chapter makes sense; some times I just tend to ramble when I write. I'm working on outlining my chapters before I sit down and just write them. Thank you for reading, I hope to get the next chapter out ASAP!

*Gynephobic is the phobia of women. I realize that Dorian is kinda flip floppy when it comes to his phobia. I guess that right now, with Leah's chest bound do to her ribs, she doesn't seem to be as womanly (or threatening) in Dorr's eyes. As compared to Tempesta who is a woman in every sense of the word (siren).


	7. Agony

**Agony **

Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth; _it belongs to Jim Henson and whoever else…so props guys.

* * *

Agony!

Oh, the torture they teach!

What's as intriguing-

Or half so fatiguing-

As what's out of reach?

_Agony _from "Into the Woods"

* * *

The castle was almost unnervingly quiet when Sarah opened her door to go to breakfast. To her surprise Leah was slumped outside of her door, fully dressed in a sweatshirt, Jeans, and her beloved Keds.

"Morning sleepyhead," Leah yawned out as soon as she saw her.

"Morning, a little early for you, hun?" she asked with a smile.

"Every morning is 'a little early' for me," Leah mumbled back and itched her belly. "Damn ribs woke me up this morning at sunrise."

"Oh, do they hurt a lot?" Sarah asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah, but they're not so bad that I can't move around on my own. And yet some how, they hurt enough for me to dream about breaking them all over again. Plus, Jeffery hasn't been by yet to medicate me."

"Aw poor baby," Sarah reached over and rubbed her back sympathetically.

"Wanna go to the dinning room with me? We can hang out and wait for breakfast, ya know, just like old times," Sarah gave her a smile and a nod. The two walked slowly together chatting about this and that and the nothing that girls are skilled in. When they reached the table Sarah dropped into her normal seat while Leah rounded the table and took Jareth's seat across from her. "So, are you gonna tell me about that _steamy_ kiss you the Goblin King were sharing last night?" Sarah flushed slightly.

"You saw that?"

"No, _**Dorian and I**_ saw that. Can you say_ awkward_?" Leah laughed slightly to herself.

"Ah…yeah, um, I guess I have some explaining to do."

"You do," Leah said with a tiny yawn, snuggling back into the seat in an attempt to become comfortable. "Now speak oh knowledgeable one, enlighten us of your toe curling encounter with the one and only bedazzled king…before I have to go and ask Mr. Pants-tighter-than-is-ever-necessary-for-a-man himself." Sarah made a little squeak that sounded remarkably like: _You wouldn't dare. _"Oh, ho-ho, I would dare! I fear not your pillow-top covered wrath!"

"Leah! I would hardly describe my rage as 'pillow-top covered', its vicious…like a, like a…a…"

"Like a teddy bear," Leah chuckled out as she tipped her chair back. "Sarah, you are no more vicious than a Serta®, you have the bloodlust of a Sealy®, and your rage or wrath or whatever is as intimidating as a Tempur-Pedic®."

"Why the hell are you comparing me to beds!" she squeaked back.

"Because you're plush…and huggable…and this subject pertains to beds a little bit."

"Leah! You make me sound like some sort of whore, it was just one kiss…and I will cut you b*tch," Leah laughed at this threat.

"I'm sorry Sar, but the threat of you attacking me is only frightening when I have done something so incredibly wrong that your anger is justifiable. And right now I haven't done anything…(yet). So, tell me your sordid little story of Underworld romance."

"…Are you done taunting me?"

"For now," Leah said with a suggestive smile.

"Er…I don't know where to begin."

"At the beginning, you dope," she whispered, picking lint off of her sweatshirt.

"I heard that. But I guess I ought to begin with what happened after we dropped you off for your nap. Or do you wanna skip that part and get to the down and dirty of it?" Leah gave her a look and shook her head. "Well," Sarah cleared her throat, "it all started when I called Jareth 'nice'. He got upset and poofed away with some…_**delightful**_ parting words." She chuckled slightly under her breath. "After he left I went exploring and ran into Hoggle in the library-."

"They have a library?" Leah cut in, excitement on her face. Sarah lifted one perfectly shaped brow in her direction.

"It's a castle Leah, like _Beauty and the Beast_, of course they have a library," Leah gave a slight squeak of excitement, but remained quiet as Sarah continued. "So, Hoggle and I got to talking about one blonde haired Goblin King. And I…I," she blushed a deep red, "I kinda realized that I," she mouthed the word 'love', "him. I always have, coming back here has just made me realize it." Leah gave her an encouraging smile and motioned for her to continue with her story. "SO," she said with an exasperated sigh, "armed with this epiphany you can imagine how ready I was when I rounded one of the bookshelves and came face to face with the one and only Jareth."

"I bet you were doing your best impression of a tomato," Leah interjected with a smirk.

"If I was Jareth was doing a wonderful impression of a cherry," she said with a nervous laugh. "To continue my story, we basically just stood there and stared at each other, speechless. Jareth was obviously still upset about my _complement_ and with my new found acknowledgment of the bum-bump of my heart; neither of us really knew what to say. Finally he just blurted out "Do you even know how much I love you?" as if that would lighten the mood, and I responded something along the lines of "Of course I do, I feel it right now". And being the smooth operator that I am, after this confession, I ran. Smart, huh?"

"Wow, and they say that I'm awkward around guys," Sarah laughed slightly at this. "But how does all of this lead up to that rather…emotional kiss I had the privilege of witnessing last night?"

"Oh, it leads to a kiss alright, one you didn't see."

"Do tell," Leah said, leaning forward with a look of great interest.

"After I ran, I ended up in my room and realized I'm still clutching a book from the library. So I opened the windows, sat in the window seat, and hoped _A Book of Many Interesting Places_ would distract me enough that I would forget my earlier embarrassment."

"Did it work?"

"Yeah, surprisingly, _A Book of Many Interesting Places_ is a really cleverly written and witty exposé on the beautiful and unique places of the Underworld and Aboveground." Leah smirked slightly at this. "Uh, but to continue what I was saying…as I was reading in the window seat, Jareth appeared outside. Since we're on the first floor he just kinda came over and leisurely leaned up against the outside of the window to talk to me. He was acting as if nothing had happened, and we were just talking and laughing together...blissfully. I dunno what it was, but in that moment I really just wanted to kiss him…and I did."

"You leaned out the window and kissed him?"

"Yes, much to his surprise," she grinned playfully at this.

"What happened next?"

"Uh, I sorta pulled away before he could kiss me back and closed the windows and drapes on him. Before I closed the drapes there was this…this look in his eyes…something more than lust, it scared me," she sighed, "I stayed in my room even when he knocked on the window and door and begged for me to let him in. He left for awhile and then POOF he appears in my room and cordially invites me to dinner. He tells me where you and Dorian are, and that I should perhaps inform you of the invitation as well. I was so out of it I didn't even think before I did just that."

"I was wondering why you looked so pink when you came out to get us," she cocked her head to the side slightly; "You honestly look a little pink now too."

"Er…that's because I'm thinking about the kiss he gave me last night."

"Ho, ho, now we get to the good part!"

"Well…we didn't say anything as we went to my room after dinner until we got to my door and I went to go in. He stopped me and said, "Precious…about that kiss…does it mean that you….?" He didn't even finish his question before I blurted out my feelings. Leah, I swear I have never seen a look of love as intense the one he gave me when I told him, "I love you". Leah…I really think that I do," she looked up at her with a happy hopeful look on her face.

"I'm glad for you Sarah, you deserve all of the happiness in the world…and I'm sure that King Tightpants will spend forever just making you happy."

"Hmmm, yeah…I think that he would," a happy far off look crossed her face for a long moment. "Oh, er, the end of the story is, he gave me a little kiss. When he pulled away, it was like a fire was lit in his eyes and I suddenly felt like I…needed to kiss him more."

"And that ends your story?"

"Mmmhmm," she sighed again, contentedly, "And such a happy end too."

"Sounds like a mushy romance novel written by a neophyte."

"IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT! Leah, it's like…it's like it's real. There is no magical rush of him rearranging time for me or pulling me into a peach scented dream ball! It's just like we're two real people!"

"And you are, but Sarah…Make sure you don't fall into anything too quickly, you only just got out of a long term relationship. Make sure you're not just falling for Jareth to be in love with someone, anyone. You know I care about you…I don't want to see you hurt again or any time soon."

"Leah…don't worry so much, I think I know where my heart lies right now…where it has always lain; with _him_." She gave her a wide, coy smile. Leah struggled for a moment but managed to awkwardly return the smile to her friend.

"Now that the chick-fest is over, mind getting out of my chair?" a hand reached around the back of the chair and patted Leah's head fondly. Leah looked up at the Goblin King with a look of distrust.

"I'm on to your clever scheme Mr. Smarmy-Pants, I will not hand over my Sarah so easily."

"Oh Ho, you challenge me for the hand of the fair Ms. Williams! I am afraid that I will be forced to use underhanded methods to ensure her continued affections. En garde!" he proceeded to tickle her until she scrambled out of his seat and into her own.

"Touché, well played sirrah, well played…but think not that this battle is at its end! For this win will have been your last! And after I have- Ooooh bacon!" Leah's tirade was cut short by a steady stream of little goblins bearing trays of breakfast foods. Jareth gave her a concerned look as he took his seat at her side.

"So…precious, is she so always this enthusiastic about her fried breakfast meat?"

"Ah, yes, nothing can snap her out of her…state of meaty bliss. I've tried everything; nothing has ever distracted her from eating her bacon." Jareth let a slow smile creep up this face.

"Leah, did you like the little hug my brother gave you last night?" Leah ignored him, stuffing bacon and eggs into her mouth greedily. Sarah gave him a questioning look, "I'm trying to see if I can snap her out of it."

"Why?"

"I like a challenge," Sarah shrugged and sat back in her seat sipping her coffee, Jareth turned back towards Leah. "Pidgin, would you like to see something interesting?" Leah flicked her eyes towards him in annoyance, but the movement of her fork to her mouth did not stop. "Look at this," he produced a crystal and stuck it under her nose, in the way of her food. Leah, forced to look at the crystal, stopped mid chew and set her fork on her plate with a sharp clink. She swallowed hastily and opened her mouth to question the image. "It's him…looking at you." Leah clicked her mouth shut and a light blush began to creep across her cheeks to her ears.

"I…He…wouldn't look at me like that," she stammered out after a hasty gulp.

"How would you know? You're never looking at him," Jareth smirked at her and pulled the orb out of her face, taking the image of Dorian staring at her in the garden away from her nervous gaze.

"I…" she couldn't manage to find words to complete her sentence when Dorian walked in.

"Good morning," he murmured as he gave the people at the table a sleepy smile.

"Aw, poor baby, did you just wake up?" Jareth said with a mocking grin.

"Shudup, I," he locked eyes with Leah, "…had a long night."

"You could at least brush your hair; you look like you just went through a tornado." Dorian rolled his eyes and took his place across from Leah.

"Leah," he acknowledged her with a slight nod of the head; Leah dropped her eyes to hide her blush.

"Pet, you were trying to say something earlier, what was it?" Jareth pressured with a slight purr.

"I…I…I don't think that he would look at me like that, it was just a distortion of the glass," she looked up at Jareth, her insecurity written across her face.

"Well…if you don't believe crystals, will you believe your own eyes?"

"Eyes play tricks on you, so no," Leah's blush slowly receded and she gave him a sassy grin.

"Whatever you say, Pidge'," Jareth purred, he shrugged and turned back to his nearly empty plate. "Sarah," she looked up at him over the rim of her coffee mug, "Where's my good morning kiss?" She gave him the slightest of smiles before she gave him a come hither curl of her finger. A wide grin engulfed his entire face as he rose from his seat and went to her. Sarah grabbed him collar, "Whoa!" he cried out as she pulled him down roughly; she took a dainty sip of her coffee before she turned her green eyes on his confusion stricken face.

"Don't push your luck, Mr. Dazzle-Face, I will decide when we start to show affection openly. Until then, keep your kissy lips to yourself." She pushed him away and went back to sipping her coffee.

"Wow…denied," Leah supplied helpfully, "and to think, she sounded like she was ready to jump you earlier. Guess she prefers romancing the bean more than exchanging saliva with you." Jareth slunk back to his seat and dropped into it, fuming. Leah continued to cajole him mercilessly until he leaned over and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Pet…you're cute and all, but you're one word away from being bogged." Leah frowned at this, he felt her mouth shift ready to respond, "I'm serious Leah, I will send you to the Bog of Eternal Stench, one word more!" He removed his hand from her mouth.

"Spoil sport," Leah pouted, Jareth turned towards her and pointed a warning finger at her. "Hey, hey, hey, hold the bogging! Injured person here! You remember the broken ribs right?"

"That's right, Jeffery hasn't brought you your medicine yet," Sarah interjected, Jareth slowly dropped his finger. Even he wasn't cold enough to send a half healed girl into the bog.

"He should have stopped by, by now," Dorian mumbled in concern.

"Maybe he's busy," Sarah replied, she turned towards Dorr and gave him a friendly smile, glad that he worried about her friend. Dorian met her gaze and hesitantly returned her smile, before paling and turning back to his plate.

"Shy guys are so cute!" Sarah reached over and pinched Dorr's cheek. He gave Leah a beseeching look.

"Sarah, let him go; you're freaking him out, he doesn't understand that you're just f*cking with him." She heard Jareth hiss something that sounded distinctly like 'she better not be' under his breath. "Jealous?" she whispered to him.

"She never pinches my cheek like that," he murmured back.

"That's because she's waiting to properly squeeze your arse," Jareth gave a barking laugh and a smile finally curled up one side of his mouth.

"What was that Leah?" Sarah asked releasing Dorr's face and returning to eating.

"Nothing Sarah, nothing at all," she turned towards Dorian to tease him and her smile faltered. She suddenly had nothing to say to him, the image Jareth had showed her kept playing itself over and over in her mind's eye.

"That bloody hurt," Dorian pouted, "you didn't tell me that your Sarah was so mean." Jareth gave him a knowing smile.

"What can I say? I like my women hot blooded and feisty, there is nothing like the thrill of the chase…Isn't that right precious?"

"I wouldn't know, I've never had a man run from me before," she raised an eyebrow, "Maybe I'm with the wrong brother," she gave Dorian a playful leer. Dorian, literally, jumped out of his seat, darted around the table, and behind Leah's chair. Sarah laughed hard, but the looks on Leah and Jareth's faces told her that she had crossed a line. "Sorry, sorry, the opportunity was too good to give up," she gave them an apologetic palms up gesture to try to appease them.

"Woman, you have gone too far this time," Jareth growled, he got up from his seat once again and crossed to her chair. "I demand compensation for your misdeed," she gave him a what-do-you-want look and cocked her head to the side, resignedly. He bent down and tapped him finger against his cheek. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and leaned in to give him a kiss. Jareth surprised her by turning and catching her lips with his own; he trapped her in her chair with his arms and deepened the kiss when she attempted to protest.

"Ahem," someone cleared their throat, halting Jareth's assault mid-kiss, "Ms. Leah, it's time for me to check your ribs." Jareth gave Jeffery an accusatory glare before retreating to his seat.

"Oh, thank you Jeffery, that will help a lot," she gave him a weak smile. Jeffery moved away from the doorway revealing a slightly smiling Tempesta.

"Good morning your highnesses," she swept into a graceful curtsey, "Ms. Sarah, Ms. Leah," she gave them a friendly nod before walking forward and taking a seat. Jeffery moved slowly to Leah's side and gave the cowering Dorian a quick once over.

"Would you're highness be kind enough to move out of the way so that I might attend to Ms. Leah?" Dorian sheepishly returned to his seat, he glanced at the thoroughly kissed Sarah and decided that she was no longer a threat. He sat down and realized that Tempesta had taken the empty seat next to him.

"Uh, good morning Princess Tempesta, did you sleep well last night?" She smiled shyly at his question and nodded.

"I slept more than well, Dorian," she purred, looking at him through lowered lashes. Leah noticed Jeffery stiffen slightly at her side.

"Leah, might I check your ribs?" he asked through gritted teeth, Leah gave him a confused look but unzipped her hooded sweatshirt without question. He reached out and felt her ribs gingerly with the pads of his fingers. "They feel as if they have begun to set already, the medicine must be helping," Leah gave him a slight nod, and waited for him to move away. When he didn't immediately, she gave him a very gentle push. He gave her a quizzical look.

"Sorry about that, personal space is something I value," she shrugged apologetically and attempted to give him a reassuring smile. He frowned at her and searched his pockets for her medicine.

"Damn, I seem to have forgotten to bring your medicine with me."

"Uh, that's ok, you can give it to me later," she patted his arm slightly, "It's not like I'm dying."

"How about we go and get it now? My room is just down the hall, it won't take long to go and get it." She tipped her head at this and after a moment nodded her consent. As she went to get up he offered her a hand up, she smiled and took it.

"Thank you," they began towards the door he'd come in when Dorian jumped up from his seat.

"Do you mind if I come with you?" Jeffery and Leah both motioned for him to come along. He ran over and promptly placed himself in between them. Leah gave him an odd look which changed to a look of surprise when he linked arms with her. "So, are you going to talk to me anytime soon? Or am I going to have to bother you until you do?" She laughed and this and smacked his arm lightly.

"I'm sorry, your brother just said something really awkward to me earlier…I'm over it, it was just a joke anyway," she gave him a wide smile and tugged him so that they could catch up to the fast pace Jeffery was setting. "Wait up Jeffery!" They nearly ran into him when he stopped abruptly in front of a gray door, he was staring at it as if he had just remembered something. A dark blush covered his face as he continued to stare at his door; he glanced up at Dorian and Leah with a torn look.

"Uh…could you guys wait out here while I get it?" He asked nervously.

"Sure, that's cool," Leah said with a shrug. Jeffery gave her a thankful nod before he disappeared into his room quickly. "So, why'd you want to come with us anyway?" she gave Dorian a suspicious look.

"Because I'm very selfish when it comes to my Pidgin," he pushed her hair out of her eyes; Leah flinched away from the affectionate gesture. Dorian blinked and pulled away from her. "Sorry about that, you're the first girl I've ever been able to get close to without freaking out…it's very tempting to touch you because of that." Leah smiled at the semi-complement.

"Dorr, you flatter me," she chuckled slightly; he reached out and tapped the purple dinosaur clip in her hair.

"Cute," he murmured, he tipped his head to the side and searched her face with his eyes, "Really cute." Leah blushed slightly and looked away.

"Sorry for making you wait," Jeffery cut in, coming out of his room and handing Leah a vial. She took it and tipped the liquid back and forth watching the air bubble move from one side to the other. "For god sake, drink the damn thing so that we can be done with it!"

"Someone's impatient," Leah sighed and pulled out the stopper, "I will have you know that this crap tastes horrible…I'm not really in any hurry to drink it. But since you insist," she threw her head back and swallowed in one gulp. "Done!" she raised her arms in victory which made Jeffery give her a weird look.

"You're a strange woman," he finally sighed.

"You're an odd duck yourself Jeffy-pie, but it doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"Not really interested in getting involved with someone who is eventually going to leave. I'll stick to the friends I have now, thank you very much."

"Stingy," Leah muttered back, she crossed her arms over her chest, "we could have been good friends too."

"I think you have enough _good_ friends," Dorian interjected, he took her hand and started pulling her back towards the dining room. Jeffery excused himself and walked back in that direction at a faster pace. "Are we still on for dancing later?" Leah scrutinized his back has he pulled her towards the dinning room and the ballroom.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready to dance if you are," he glanced back at her and gave her a firm nod.

"Alright, let's go then."

* * *

"Come on Dorian! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Leah dragged Dorian behind her self, a large smile on her face.

"How can you be so energetic? I'm exhausted!" Dorr whined, Leah swung around and caught his other hand.

"I'm hungry! If we don't get to the lunch table soon Jareth is going to eat all the scones!" she swung their arms back and forth in a childish motion.

"Leah, we've been dancing for hours, calm down for five minutes and let me catch my breath," he demanded with an exasperated sigh. Leah stood quietly while he caught his breath and scuffed the toe of her shoe on the floor, agitated. Dorian took the moment to observe her; a slight sheen of sweat covered her brow from their dancing. _Sweat looks nice on her…_ His head jerked slightly to the side when his thoughts turned to _other_ activities that could make them sweat. A deep blush spread across his cheeks, a few days ago he wasn't thinking about anyone like this.

"Wow Dorr, you really are out of breath, you're panting," she surveyed his face with a quizzical look.

"Er, ahem," he cleared his throat, "It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Really? You're really red," she reached out and poked one of his cheeks, "A little color looks good on you though," she laughed and started pulling him after herself again. He was silent for a long moment, allowing her to lead him back towards the dining room.

"Leah?"

"Yeah, Dorr?" she turned and gave him a huge smile.

"Thanks for helping me with this dancing thing, I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it, it is all to help you get together with Tempesta, so…I'm glad to help," her smile faltered ever so slightly.

"I really do appreciate it though; you're helping me out a lot more than just with the dancing part."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know," she released his hand, "I'm helping you get used to women, we've been over this before." As they rounded the corner to enter the dinning room Dorian pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Thank you," he murmured into her ear before he released her. Leah found herself blushing darkly when she realized the people in the dinning room had seen the moment of affection. "Afternoon," he nodded to everyone as he took his usual seat at the table.

"Go baby brother," Jareth murmured with a smirk, Leah slowly followed after Dorian, only to find that all of the seats at the table were taken. Tempesta was sitting in Leah's usual seat across from Dorian and Jeffery had taken the seat to her left. Sarah and Jareth had maintained their usual seats, and Hoggle had taken the seat at the head of the table where he had sat during his previous visit. Leah stood uncertainly in the entrance way looking at the full table.

"Oh, Leah, I didn't realize that there wasn't a seat for you," Tempesta said in a distressed voice.

"You can always sit on Dorr's lap, I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Jareth purred suggestively. Leah frowned at him and walked to Sarah's side, she dropped into her lap without any warning.

"Fuh! You're heavy, Leah, get off!" Sarah yelped.

"Damn you're legs are boney!"

"Damn your boney ass! Get the f*ck off!"

"Scoot over then," Leah demanded. Sarah gave her a deep frown and shoved her off of her lap. "FINE, I'll go sit with someone else," she rounded the table and stood next to Jareth. "Move," she hissed, Jareth jumped ever so slightly when Leah squished into the chair with him. There wasn't much room so she ended up straddling the arm of the chair.

"Why me?" he hissed in her ear.

"Because I need to talk to you," she hissed back.

"Really now…do continue," Dorian glared at Jareth and Leah's close seating arrangement. Leah and Jareth whispered back and forth while the usual stream of goblins arrived with the afternoon meal.

"Dorian, it had been such a long time since you have made an appearance at a Council function. Are you going to be present during the All Hollows Eve Ball your brother is hosting?"

"Uh," he ripped his eyes from his brother and friend and met Tempesta's curious gaze, "I am planning to attend."

"Oh, wonderful, I was wondering if, you would like to be my escort for the first Ball?"

"Uh, I think that I already have a date for the first evening, but I would happily escort you all of the nights after that."

"That sounds lovely," Tempesta murmured her eyes half-lidded and hungry looking. Dorian gulped at a lump in his throat as he continued to gaze into her eyes.

"Lovely…sure," he managed to half stammer out; he turned his attention back towards Jareth and Leah as he stuffed a biscuit into his mouth. Leah let out a charming laugh at something his brother said and he felt a wave of something hot and unpleasant rush up through his chest. He knew the feeling; he was a selfish creature so naturally he understood the feeling of jealous envy. Jareth chose that exact moment to turn a smug look in his younger brother's direction; he allowed a tooth suggestive smirk drift across his lips. He locked eyes with Dorian and mouthed something; he mouthed it a second time and Dorian realized what it was: '_Are you jealous?'_ He frowned at this and glared at Jareth, who playfully raised an eyebrow inquisitively at him. He mouthed back: '_No' _and turned back to Tempesta.

Leah elbowed Jareth in the ribs playfully, "Were you listening to what I said?"

"Nope, Dorian was distracting me with damn puppy dog eyes he was making at you."

"Jareth…Dorian doesn't feel anything for me."

"And I think that Sarah is some sort of rare rutabaga, bullsh*t he doesn't feel anything for you. What was that hug from behind nonsense then?"

"I…I have no idea what came over him, he said something along the lines of: because I was the first girl he wasn't afraid of he liked being able to touch me. I…don't know what to say to that."

"Pet, that was a line, like one of those filthy mortals use in bars only with some Fae class. He was coming on to you; you should have either turned him down or asked him back to your room." By this time Leah had flushed several shades of red and was ducking her head down behind him to cover up her embarrassment from the others sitting at the table.

"We…we were kinda interrupted." She managed to whisper into his shoulder.

"So you admit you two were having a moment?" He whispered back slyly.

"Er…he did call me 'cute'," she looked up at Jareth and noticed his affectionate brotherly smirk curling up one side of his face. "Damn it, how do you manage to look so damn smug while looking so…I don't know, sweet?"

"First Sarah calls me 'nice' now you call me 'sweet', am I losing my touch as the villain of this story?"

"Oh honey, you were never the…'villain', as you so aptly put it, maybe you were just the antagonist," Sarah purred across the table. Both Jareth and Leah went completely still, Jareth's face took on an, almost, affectionate look, while Leah was blushing furiously.

"Wow Sarah, I've never been on the receiving end of…'that look' before…Honestly it makes me rather uncomfortable, Jareth I'm sorry but I've gotta go sit on Dorr's lap now…so that I don't feel more uncomfortable." She struggled out of her seat and managed to do so without falling, as she rounded the table Tempesta suddenly got up.

"Leah, sweetie, why don't you take my seat?" she gave Leah a helpful smile.

"Uh, thanks Princess," she slowly sat down, "But where will you..." Tempesta walked around the table and took a seat on Dorian's lap, "sit?" Dorian turned the color of a tomato while all of the blood drained from Leah's face. She glanced at Jeffery and noticed that he too looked rather green around the gills.

"Now, isn't this comfortable?" Tempesta purred out with a seductive smile aimed at Dorian, who looked rather comatose.

"Uh, is he breathing?" Sarah asked after a moment.

"I…don't think so," Jeffery said leaning slightly closer. Tempesta slid off of his lap and shot Leah a superior look. Leah gripped the arms of her chair tightly a cold fury running through her, _How dare this b*tch mess with Dorian's head!_ Leah threw her chair back and joined Jeffery at Dorian's side.

"Is he okay?" she asked, pushing a strained of his hair out of his eyes.

"Why do you care? It's not like you're his intended like Tempesta is."

"Intended?" she glanced back at Jareth for more information.

"It's a rather informal agreement between our families that if, **if, **Dorian chooses to marry another Fae he would look at the Siren clan first before he made a choice. She's not his intended until he decides she is."

"You're the head of your house, you could make him choose," Tempesta tossed in.

"I…would never force him to marry someone he didn't love, unlike some clan heads," there was a slight underlying threat within his tone; Tempesta became silent with a pout.

"Jeffery, is there anything you can do for him?" Leah murmured to the pale man. He frowned at her slightly and glanced back at Tempesta, when she ignored him he focused back on Leah.

"You can help me carry him to his room, after the…shock the princess gave him he'll need some sleep." Leah nodded and put one of Dorian's arms over her shoulder, Jeffery let out a frustrated sigh before taking the other arm. While the two stumbled off with the knocked out prince Jareth pinned Tempesta with a level glare.

"What exactly were you hoping to achieve by doing that?" He growled.

"After seeing him be so friendly with that peasant not a half hour ago, I thought that he was finally over his phobia. Besides, what man wouldn't want me curled up on his lap?"

"My brother apparently," Jareth hissed back, "Because you are the daughter of a great ally I will let this incident slide, but mark my words, if you do something like this again I will personally bog you."

"You wouldn't dare," Tempesta shot back.

"I would, don't mess with my brother you shameless hussy."

"I didn't know you cared that much, Highness," she bit back.

"I care enough for the runt not to throw him to the wolves or into your clutches. You're lucky that he holds you in such high regard, or else I would personally make sure that you never showed your face in court again! _Am I clear_ Princess?" She gave him a curt nod and hurriedly exited in the direction of her rooms. Jareth muttered some choice words under his breath before he realized that during his tirade he had risen from his seat and was clutching the table. He sighed and fell boneless-ly back into his seat.

"Wow, Jareth…I'm impressed," Sarah said after a second.

"Why?" he asked, spent from his encounter with the Siren princess.

"I never thought you'd fight for your little brother that hard."

"I thought the same thing seven years ago, Ms. Triumphant Runner." Sarah chuckled at the lack of acid in his words. "Now come reward me for being a good big brother," he pushed his chair out slightly and opened his arms to her. Sarah shook her head slightly but, nevertheless, she rose and took a seat on the Fae king's lap. He closed his arms around her with a gentle smirk.

* * *

Dorian opened his eyes to find that everything was dark around him. He felt a faint panic lingering from his, what felt like, endless nightmares. He glanced to his side and found Leah resting her head on his bed from her seat in one of his chairs. She looked so peaceful sleeping, but there were dark circles under her eyes that told a story of sleep as troubled as his own. There was no sound more comforting than her steady sleeping breaths by his side; he almost fell asleep again when she began to stir.

"Hey," he whispered to her and she sat up in a swift motion.

"You're awake!" a look of intense relief crossed her face.

"Uh, how long have I been out for?" He sat up and leaned against his headboard so that he could have a better view of her face.

"Uh, it's been two and a half days since you passed out at lunch, tomorrow morning would have marked your third day of sleeping." She ran a hand through her messy hair and her fingers caught in a tangle; she worried the spot for a moment before turning her full attention back on Dorian. "I'll go get Jeffery so he can check on you, okay?"

"Y-yeah, that sounds like…something you should do," he breathed out, his tone slightly deeper than he meant it to be. Leah glanced at him slightly before she got up and hurried from the room. Dorian leaned back against the cool wood behind him trying to sort out the loitering remnants of his nightmares without much luck. A snippet of one of his dreams came drifting back into his mind's eye, this dream was different from the others, and this dream wasn't a nightmare. It wasn't a dream he minded having again…especially when it involved a certain brown haired girl. Said girl chose that moment to reenter the room with Jeffery only a few steps behind.

"How are you feeling your highness?" Jeffery asked his tone slightly sleepy. Dorian observed the other man for a moment before he answered and noticed that he had circles as dark as Leah's ringing his eyes.

"I've been better Doc, less nightmares," he murmured quietly back.

"Nightmares?" he was asked by Leah while Jeffery lit a lamp and began checking Dorian's eyes and mouth. "I think I heard you say something about being smothered by some fat desperate woman.

"Er…something like that," he blushed slightly at her to the point remark.

"Well, you seem normal to me…or as normal as someone with your condition can be after a full blown panic attack," Jeffery cut in curtly. Dorian raised an eyebrow at the tart diagnosis but he didn't comment, Jeffery's clan was known for its sharp temper.

"Jeffery, why don't you go back to sleep? You haven't been sleeping much the last few days," Leah suggested, her tone was gentle like a healing salve over a burning itch. Jeffery's defenses crumbled and he let out a cat like yawn.

"Alright, but promise to get some sleep yourself, you've had just as much sleep as I have…perhaps less. Goodnight lady, your highness," he gave them a sincere nod as he exited the room.

"Wow, I've never seen Jeffery so…un-prickly. And 'lady'?"

"Uh, we had some time to bond; he's actually not a bad guy, he's just under some…incredible pressure at the moment."

"Sharing secrets? Without me?" he gave her a toothy smile that looked remarkably like Jareth's trademark smirk.

"Over you, actually, you have been comatose for the last couple of days."

"I'm glad that you were here when I woke up, it was comforting to see a familiar face after those long nights." Leah yawned tiredly and stretched, he noticed he attire for the first time. She was wearing a thinly strapped nightgown made from a gauzy material he wasn't quite sure if he could see through. She moved slightly and he was quite sure that he had seen something enticing peek through.

"I'm glad that you woke up," she relaxed her stretch and gave him a lopsided grin, "It's been boring without you. Jareth isn't as patient teaching me to dance; he says that I have seven left feet and that I have no idea where to put my hands. I told him it was easier to learn when your partner isn't constantly trying to look behind to watch your best friend."

"Mmhmm," he hummed back, their conversation came to a sudden stop when his stomach let out a grotesque roar of hunger. "Well that is embarrassing," he murmured.

"Hah, I could do with a midnight snack too, let's go," that being said the two wobbled their way down to the kitchen and Leah made the two of them sandwiches and tea. While Dorian was gobbling down his third sandwich Leah threw out an odd comment. "Uh, tomorrow my wraps are coming off."

"Hm, really?" he asked through a mouthful of bread.

"I'm just warning you so that you don't go into some sort of boobie overload," Dorian let out a choked laugh and ended up spraying crumbs everywhere.

"I don't think that will ever happen," he said laughing.

"Well it could happen, my breasts will leave you-you absolutely…I don't even know anymore. Man I'm tired," Dorian laughed slightly and plopped down on the kitchen floor. Leah took a seat next to him and they continued harassing each other good naturedly. The next morning Jareth came waltzing into the kitchen and found them asleep on the floor. Dorian had wrapped his arm around Leah's smaller frame protectively and Leah was using his other arm as a make shift pillow. Jareth watched them with an open look of envy, if only they didn't look so innocent together and…so right. He felt bad that the days to come would become harder for them. Conjuring a blanket he tucked them in, he ruffled Dorian's hair fondly and smoothed Leah's bangs out of her face.

"Sleep well," he murmured softly. The All Hallows Eve masquerade ball would start soon, and that would only bring pandemonium. He heard Leah whimper something in her sleep; he turned back and watched her kick violently at Dorian in her sleep. She murmured again and he caught what she said this time. He walked out of the kitchen contemplating the word that slipped from her lips, "Now why are you thinking about precious' little brother?"

AN: sorry I've taken so long to get this up…I promise that I will bring Toby into the story soon…I'll start the next chapter soon, I have some ideas for the masquerade so…hang tight.


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